Palmeiras vs Flamengo Prediction: The two title favorites meet in São Paulo

The Brasileirão draw dictated that the two biggest favorites to lift the trophy would meet early in the competition. The game isn't decisive, but if the Paulistas lose, they'll be six points behind Flamengo. Palmeiras was stunned at home by Internacional and will play this match with added pressure.

The Verdão lost 1-0 to Internacional at the Arena Barueri. It's a stadium on the outskirts of São Paulo owned by Leila Pereira, the president of Palmeiras. It's known that the coach and players don't like to play there because they don't have as much support from the fans as they do at the Allianz Parque. Did the low attendance have any influence on the defeat? We don't know, but we do know that Palmeiras will play more games in Barueri due to the frequent unavailability of the Allianz Parque. Above all, the Paulistas lost because they didn't play well. The Gaúchos even missed a penalty before scoring through Wesley in the 45th minute. Palmeiras didn't create many chances to score, but Endrick missed an easy goal to tie the game near the end. Against Flamengo, Abel Ferreira's team must not lose again to avoid falling six points behind its main rival in this year's league.

The Vulture did its duty and won 2-1 against São Paulo, currently struggling with a lack of confidence. The Cariocas began to build their lead after just 20 minutes with a fabulous goal from left-footed Luis Araújo with a curling shot from outside the area. The second goal came from Nicolás de la Cruz in the 54th minute, following an individual move from Pedro. In the 79th minute, Ferreira reduced the deficit for the Paulistas, who were unable to create any chances to equalize after that. Flamengo now has six points and leads the table with the same points as Internacional. Tite's side will face Palmeiras with confidence and peace of mind.

No team can be considered the favorite in this clash. These are possibly the best Brazilian sides, and the match will probably be very even. On one side, Flamengo will be more comfortable, but on the other, the fact that Palmeiras will play under pressure may even motivate the players who like this type of situation. My bet is on a game with a maximum of two goals. Both coaches are cautious by nature. Of course, if there's an early goal in the game, someone will have to take more risks, and then there might be more space for the forwards, but even so, my bet will be on the number of goals scored.