Palmeiras and Botafogo face off in a Brazilian clash in the round of sixteen of the Club Cup.
With some accounts to settle, Palmeiras and Botafogo, the two most recent Brazilian champions, will fight for a spot in the quarterfinals of the World Club Cup this Saturday (28), in Philadelphia.
The two teams will open in the United States another chapter of a rivalry that has recently intensified due to clashes in the Brazilian Championship and the Copa Libertadores.
O "Verdão", the protagonist in South American football in recent years, took the Brazilian championship title from the Black-and-White team in 2023, but Botafogo had its revenge the following year, winning the national trophy and lifting its first Libertadores.
At the Philadelphia Eagles' football stadium, Lincoln Financial Field, from 13:00 (Brasília time), cariocas and paulistas will try to position themselves among the eight best teams in the Cup of Clubs.
Both Palmeiras and Botafogo, both coached by Portuguese coaches, will have important absentees in the only round of 16 match of the new FIFA club tournament within the same country.
The winner will face whoever advances from the clash between Benfica and Chelsea, who also take the field on Saturday at 5 PM.
"-'There is a rivalry'"-
In Philadelphia, which recently faced a heat wave alleviated by rains, Palmeirense and Botafoguense fans will be able to settle their pending accounts once and for all.
The Paulistas defeated the Cariocas in the 2023 Brazilian Championship after a historic downfall by Botafogo, which had led with a 13-point advantage, but ended up without the title at the end of the season.
The turnaround for Abel Ferreira's team began exactly against the Black and White team in a match at the Nilton Santos stadium. The Palmeiras went into halftime losing 3-0, but came back to win 4-3 in the second half, with a great performance by Endrick, who is now a player for Real Madrid.
But that November 1st, 2023 marked the last green-and-white victory over Botafogo. Since then, there have been three losses and two draws with the Rio team.
Esse retrospecto foi definitivo no ano seguinte, quando o time da Estrela Solitária fez uma temporada histórica sob o comando do português Artur Jorge, atualmente no Al -Rayyan do Catar: campeão brasileiro e da Libertadores.
In the continental tournament, Botafogo eliminated Palmeiras in the round of 16; in the Brazilian Championship, they won in the first (1-0) and second leg (3-1).
"There is a rivalry, [Botafogo] has been strengthening a lot. They have excellent players, the coach is very motivated, they beat PSG, had good performance against Atlético de Madrid," highlighted the Palmeiras coach.
- Significant absences -
The Botafogo, as Abel said, was responsible for one of the great surprises of the Cup of Clubs by defeating the European champion 1-0 and securing second place in Group B, eliminating Atlético.
"It's not for free to make history. It was with a lot of sacrifice," said the black-and-white captain, Marlon Freitas, who will not have the company of Gregore, suspended, in the line of midfielders.
The absence of the midfielder may lead coach Renato Paiva to return to the traditional 4-4-2 formation, which he changed to a 4-3-3 when facing European teams in the group stage.
In turn, Palmeiras will not have the defender Murilo, who forms a partnership with Paraguayan captain Gustavo Gómez.
Murilo got injured in the game against Inter Miami featuring Lionel Messi, in which the Brazilian team was losing 2-0 and managed to draw the match, finishing on top of Group A.
"The last games between Botafogo and Palmeiras were of high level and intensity. A healthy rivalry for Brazilian football," said the Botafogo fullback Alex Telles.
- Probable lineups:
Palmeiras: Weverton - Marcos Rocha, Gustavo Gómez, Bruno Fuchs, Joaquín Piquerez - Aníbal Moreno, Richard Ríos, Maurício - Estêvão, Vitor Roque, Facundo Torres. Coach: Abel Ferreira.
Botafogo: John - Vitinho, Jair, Alexander Barboza, Alex Telles - Artur, Marlon Freitas, Allan, Jefferson Savarino - Gonzalo Mastriani, Igor Jesus. Coach: Renato Paiva.
raa/ag/cb
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