Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Copa Libertadores match.
Palmeiras and Flamengo will meet in the final of the Copa Libertadores. Both teams have won this prestigious tournament three times, but it was Palmeiras who defeated their rivals in the 2021 final, and now they will meet again.
Palmeiras
Palmeiras are faltering at the end of the season. Abel Ferreira is a unique coach for Brazil, where even one year in a job is already an achievement, yet since 2020 he has won two Copa Libertadores titles, the Brazilian Série A, the Copa do Brasil, the Recopa Sudamericana and the Campeonato Paulista. In the Série A, Palmeiras were progressing at a title-winning pace, but they have not recorded a single victory in their last five matches. Second place in the standings and a five-point gap to Flamengo is not ideal. However, in the Copa Libertadores, the team have been outstanding: six wins in the group stage (17:4), then they eliminated Universitario de Deportes (4:0, 0:0), River Plate (2:1, 3:1) and produced a comeback against Quito in the semi-final (0:3, 4:0).
Flamengo
Flamengo have recently been chasing every possible trophy. Filipe Luís, who ended his playing career in 2023, has, since September 2024, won the Copa do Brasil, the Supercopa do Brasil and the Campeonato Carioca, while in the Brazilian Série A they are leading by five points. In the Copa Libertadores, Flamengo finished their group with 11 points and a goal difference of 6:3. In the knockout round they eliminated Internacional (1:0, 2:0), Estudiantes de La Plata (2:1, 0:1 on penalties) and Racing Club (1:0, 0:0). They have also shown reliable defence, keeping clean sheets in four of their six knockout matches.
Palmeiras vs Flamengo Prediction
In the last eight meetings between the sides, Flamengo have lost to Palmeiras only once, and in seven of those matches the total goals did not exceed 3.5. We expect a very tense final in which the nominal hosts will not lose in regular time.
