Palmeiras will be in the Copa Libertadores’ round-of-16 their easy 5-0 home win over Bolivar three weeks ago. They continue at the top of Group B on 13 points and need only one more to secure the first spot. However, things have been getting worse since then. Last Sunday, O Verdao lost 2-0 at Fortaleza, suffering their fourth consecutive defeat in which was Andrey Lopes’ debut as interim boss after Vanderlei Luxemburgo’s departure. Therefore, they have dropped down to the eighth spot in the league table on 22 points, trailing Fluminense (who occupy the last Libertadores’ spot) by four. Palmeiras also lost their last two home matches to Sao Paulo and Coritiba after an 18-game unbeaten run at Allianz Parque.
Tigre continues struggling in the Copa Libertadores. Three weeks ago, they lost 3-1 at home to Paraguayan side Guarani and wasted a big opportunity in their fight to advance to the Copa Sudamericana’s round-of-32. The side is bottom in Group B with a single point and trail Bolivar by three (and a huge goal-difference disadvantage), so they will need a miracle to keep their hope alive. In fact, El Matador earned a single point in their last seven games in all competitions, having lost all four away games in 2020.
Even though they are in crisis, Palmeiras are way better than Tigre, who in addition will find big trouble to pick a starting XI due to Covid-19 complications.