Palmeiras vs Atlético-MG Prediction: The champion will try to get up after several blows

Things haven't been going well for Palmeiras lately. Elimination in the Copa Libertadores semi-finals disappointed the club, which missed out on the main target. In the Série A, defeat at home to Santos in the last round was another blow to the Verdão's aspirations. It was the third consecutive defeat in the competition. Can the champion of Brazil pick himself up and fight back?

In 4th place, 11 points behind leader Botafogo, Palmeiras is under massive pressure. Leila Pereira, the club's president, is being criticized for not having signed players to strengthen the team, even though there are funds to do so. The elimination from the Copa Libertadores has accentuated the crisis at the club since winning the championship, according to coach Abel Ferreira, would be impossible this season due to the big lead that Botafogo has achieved. It should be noted that the Portuguese coach is suspended for two games and will not be on the bench against Atlético Mineiro. There are also doubts over the full use of Piquerez, Gustavo Gómez, Raphael Veiga, and Richard Ríos, who have been on international duty. Even so, the Paulistas have the quality to beat the Mineiros; the desire to win will be there because three defeats in a row is far too much for such a big club.

The Rooster was stunned at home by Coritiba, ranked last before the game. Atlético Mineiro's first defeat in its new stadium, the Arena MRV, ended a positive run of five games without losing. Scolari's team is in ninth place with 40 points, just four points behind Palmeiras. The teams at the top are very close in the standings points-wise, so the Mineiros can still achieve a good finish. There is only a six-point gap between ninth and second place, which RB Bragantino occupies. A draw at the Allianz Parque would be a good result for the Rooster.

Despite all the problems affecting Palmeiras, the most likely outcome is a Paulista triumph. Atlético suffered a hard-to-digest home defeat against one of the worst sides in the Série A, likely enough to shake the squad psychologically. I will bet on Palmeiras winning, as it's time for the team to react.