Palmeiras vs Athletico-PR Prediction: Champion Palmeiras hosts leader Athletico

There's a big game on the horizon between Palmeiras and Athletico Paranaense. The champion is in sixth place with eight points, while Athletico leads the Brasileirão with ten points, the same as Bahia. These are the kind of games the Paulistas like when they must show how fierce they are against anyone threatening their throne. Palmeiras wants to win to overtake its opponent and move closer to the top of the Série A.

Abel Ferreira's team destroyed Liverpool with a 5-0 triumph in Montevideo for the Copa Libertadores. With two rounds to play, Palmeiras has virtually qualified for the next stage. The Verdão has 10 points, while the other three teams in the group have just four. Palmeiras still has two home games to secure a point to advance to the knockout stage. Even if the Paulistas lose both games, which is very unlikely, their goal difference should be enough to qualify if they finish with the same points as the other teams. The Verdão is buoyed not just by the win in Uruguay but also by the 2-0 victory in Cuiabá in the last round of the Série A.

The Hurricane beat Vasco da Gama 1-0 at home and climbed to first place in the competition. The Cariocas were down to ten players after 16 minutes when Hugo Moura grabbed Zapelli and saw a red card. The Paranaenses completely dominated the game but were ineffective, hitting the woodwork four times. In the Copa Sudamericana, Athletico crushed Rayo Zuliano 5-1 in Venezuela and secured a place in the next stage of the competition. The match against Palmeiras will be a test for Cuca's team. The Hurricane has yet to win away in the Brasileirão, and the opponent is fearsome.

Both teams had crushing victories in the South American competitions in midweek and will face each other with confidence running high. Palmeiras usually thrive in significant games, and in addition, it plays at home, so it's the favorite. The determination to overtake its opponent in the table will be intense. Athletico Paranaense has yet to win away in this Brasileirão, which makes a victory for the Paulistas even more likely.