Palmeiras vs São Paulo Prediction: Palmeiras is the favorite in the King's Clash

Known as Choque-Rei, this meeting between these two teams from São Paulo has aroused passions since 1930. The derby's name came about in the 1940s, when the rivalry became very intense, with Palmeiras and São Paulo sharing 9 Paulistas Championships between 1942 and 1950. Today, the rivalry remains fierce, and the greatest proof of this was the duel between the two teams for the Copa do Brasil, which São Paulo ended up winning. In the Brasileirão, the Tricolor has yet to win on the road, but curiously, in the second leg of the Copa do Brasil quarter-finals, São Paulo beat Palmeiras 2-1 at the Allianz Parque, leaving its rival by the wayside.

Palmeiras

After four consecutive defeats, the Verdão finally managed to win. The 2-0 win came in Curitiba against the Série A's second to last team. The Paulistas returned to fourth place in the table, which means they are in a position to qualify for the group stage of the Copa Libertadores. At 12 points behind Botafogo, their chances of regaining the title are remote. However, the King's Clash is motivating enough for Abel Ferreira's team to win, perhaps with a taste of revenge for the defeat in the Copa do Brasil.

São Paulo

After two away games in a row, São Paulo returned to the Morumbi and beat Grêmio 3-0 in a match totally dominated by the Paulistas. The team is back in 10th place after being overtaken by Cuiabá in the previous round. São Paulo doesn't look like it can do any better than qualify for the Copa Sudamericana, thanks in no small part to a mediocre performance away from home. This classic is all about prestige, and that's why Dorival Jr.'s team will be looking for a good result.

Expert Betting Tips

São Paulo struggles when playing outside the Morumbi. It's true that this year, the team managed to beat Palmeiras away, but it was in the second leg of a knockout round, so it was a game with different characteristics from a league match. Palmeiras is fighting hard to qualify for next season's Copa Libertadores and needs to win. I'm backing the home team to triumph.