São Paulo vs Corinthians Prediction: A Paulista Derby in Brasília

São Paulo and Corinthians will meet in Brazil's capital for another Majestic Derby. Both teams had matches for the South American competitions in the middle of the week. São Paulo was knocked out of the Copa Libertadores quarter-finals, while Corinthians qualified for the Copa Sudamericana semi-finals. The Timão is more confident, but the previous game doesn't matter in a classic.

São Paulo and Botafogo had drawn 0-0 in the first leg in Rio de Janeiro, so the expectations were high for the game at the Morumbi. The Cariocas entered the game very well and pressured São Paulo's defenders, who struggled to build up play. Not surprisingly, the visitors scored after 14 minutes through Thiago Almada. Zubeldía's men weren't great in the first half but could have scored anyway, with Lucas Moura missing a penalty. The game changed in the second half, and the home team began to approach the Botafogo area more frequently. Calleri missed an easy goal but made up for it later and, with a magnificent header, equalized the match in the 87th minute. The teams were nervous in the final minutes, and the game ended in a draw. São Paulo missed two penalties and Botafogo only one, qualifying for the semi-finals. It was a dramatic elimination, and now the Tricolor Paulista must react in the derby.

The Timão once again beat Fortaleza to qualify for the Copa Sudamericana semi-finals. In the first leg, Corinthians won 2-0 away, and in the second match, 3-0. Both results were surprising, considering that the Cearenses are third in the Brasileirão with only five defeats in 27 games. Romero, Coronado, and Henrique scored the goals, all of them in the second half. Ramón Díaz's men have two ways of reaching the Copa Libertadores, but they must win the Copa Sudamericana or the Copa do Brasil. Corinthians is in the semi-finals of both competitions. In the Série A, the picture is very different as the Paulistas are in the relegation zone, so they need points urgently.

It's a historic clash in Brazilian football where it matters little who is in the best moment before the kick-off. On the pitch, the rivalry will make the players forget about bad results or fatigue, so it's a game without favorites. I'm going for a draw.