Santos vs Palmeiras Prediction: Two old rivals meet in the Paulistão final

Santos and Palmeiras were the two teams with the most points won during the Campeonato Paulista's group stage and will now face each other in a two-legged final. In the knockout phase, both sides again showed to be stronger than their opponents. The last Paulistão final between these two great clubs was in 2015, with Santos coming out on top. The last time the two rivals met in a decisive match was in 2020, in the Copa Libertadores final. On that occasion, Palmeiras lifted the trophy.

In an exciting game, the Fish beat RB Bragantino in the semi-final by 3-1, driving to madness its faithful fans who filled the Neo Química Arena, Corinthians' stadium. Despite playing in the Série B for the first time this season, Pelé's club returned to a Campeonato Paulista final eight years later. Before that, from 2009 to 2016, Santos had played in eight consecutive Paulistão finals. Now, against rival Palmeiras, it will take something special to beat the reigning Brazilian champion, but the dream of Santos is to become the best team in the state of São Paulo.

The Verdão didn't impress in the semi-final against Novorizontino. Wonder kid Endrick scored in the 53rd minute to give his team the qualification to the final. The Série B club was a tough nut to crack and never gave up looking for the equalizer. Palmeiras has won the last two Paulistão editions and will now try to win the competition for the third consecutive time. It will be crucial to get a good result in the first leg at the Vila Belmiro, a stadium that is always difficult for any team that visits it. The final's second leg will take place on the first weekend of April before the trip to Argentina to face San Lorenzo in its Copa Libertadores 2024 opener.

It's a game where anything can happen. The atmosphere at the Vila Belmiro could push Santos into a good performance, but, on the other hand, the Palmeiras players are used to winning competitions, something Santos has failed to do for several years now. There's a second leg to play, so the Verdão will have the advantage to decide the final at home. I'm betting on a Double Chance in favor of Palmeiras, with a maximum of three goals scored in the match.