Cuiabá vs Palmeiras Prediction: Is Cuiabá's golden dream over?

After six games without defeat and four wins in a row, Cuiabá finally fell. On their trip to Curitiba, the Dourado couldn't resist and lost 2-0 against Athletico Paranaense. During this period, the team practically touched the sky, such the happiness attained in the face of opponents of great value, making the players feel invincible with confidence close to the clouds. The 3-0 win against Flamengo was the zenith of this golden dream. The team has come down to earth in Curitiba and is preparing to host the defending champions. Can Cuiabá resume its dream of the top spots in the Brasileirão, or was this winning streak just a flash of brilliance?

Cuiabá

This eighth place is excellent for a team that, at the season's start, was seen as one of the candidates to drop down to the Série B. The club has grown a lot and is more respected by its opponents, who see Cuiabá as a tough team to beat. Abel Ferreira, the Palmeiras coach, is for sure preparing for this game very carefully, also because another Portuguese coach, António Oliveira, will be on the Dourado bench. It will be essential for Cuiabá to realize that what they have done so far has been well done, from its defensive process, which is the basis of the team's success, to its attacking play, which is much more dangerous recently. The team has quality, but let's see how it reacts to a defeat or maybe two if it loses this match.

Palmeiras

Lopéz's 96th-minute goal against Cruzeiro breathed a sigh of relief to the worried fans at the Allianz Parque. It was hard to beat one of the best-organized teams in the league. The Verdão occupies an isolated second place now, but Grêmio still has a game in hand and can overtake the Paulistas. A few days after the meeting with Cuiabá, Palmeiras has an Important match in Colombia against Deportivo Pereira. It's the first leg of the Copa Libertadores quarter-finals, a competition that Palmeiras wants to win again, as they did in 1999, 2020, and 2021. Abel Ferreira will likely rest a number of starting players, as he did against Fluminense. The players who enter the Arena Pantanal will want to win, but it may not be the best Palmeiras team.

Expert Betting Tips

If the Verdão didn't have a very important Copa Libertadores match a few days later, I'd clearly bet on a Palmeiras win. Therefore, my main bet is a Double Chance for the champions with a goal limit because they probably won't be playing with their best players. If that happens, the game could be more balanced.