Palmeiras vs São Paulo Prediction: Palmeiras needs a victory in the King Clash

Palmeiras and São Paulo have the same points and will meet in a thrilling derby. The home team has won the last two leagues, but this season, it has dropped a little in level and is in fourth place, five points behind Botafogo. The gap to the leader is perfectly recoverable, although Palmeiras must raise the bar. The draw with Flamengo at the Maracanã was vital, but now the Verdão needs to beat São Paulo in the King Clash.

The Pig lost 2-1 to Botafogo in the first leg of the Copa Libertadores Round of 16 and will have to do better in the second leg if it wants to qualify for the quarter-finals. The following match with the Cariocas is on Wednesday, making it a challenging week for Palmeiras. Botafogo is also in a similar situation as it will face Flamengo in this round. Boy wonder Estêvão has returned from injury and could be decisive in the upcoming matches, which are crucial for the team's future. Palmeiras and São Paulo have played each other three times this year, and all the games have ended in draws, although in one of them, the Tricolor Paulista won on penalties, in the Supercopa do Brasil.

Luis Zubeldía's team is well-organized and solid defensively. In the previous five games, São Paulo has scored four goals and hasn't conceded a single one. In the middle of the week, the Paulistas drew 0-0 with Nacional in Uruguay and took a big step towards qualifying for the quarter-finals of the Copa Libertadores. In the Brasileirão, the Tricolor is in fifth place with the same 38 points as Palmeiras, but the general perception is that São Paulo is having a better season than its richer rival. A draw at the Allianz Parque would be an excellent result.

The recent games between the two teams were always balanced, and this one should be no exception. Although Palmeiras is one of the favorites to win the title while São Paulo is an outsider, the two rivals have the same points. Palmeiras must win the derby to take advantage of the game between Botafogo and Flamengo, so I'm betting on the champion to win.