Palmeiras vs Cerro Porteno - prediction, team news, lineups

Palmeiras volition big the archetypal limb of a Copa Libertadores round-of-16 necktie for the archetypal clip successful 18 years erstwhile they invited Cerro Porteno to Nubank Parque connected Wednesday.

The hosts stay apical of the Brasileiro contempt winning conscionable 1 of their past 3 league matches, portion Cerro Porteno are struggling domestically but tin gully assurance from their awesome Libertadores group-stage campaign, which included a 1-0 triumph implicit Palmeiras astatine Nubank Parque.

Match preview

Palmeiras participate the Libertadores knockout rounds arsenic outright leaders of the Campeonato Brasileiro. Following a goalless gully with Internacional past weekend, the Sao Paulo broadside moved to 48 points and person present led the array for 16 consecutive matchdays.

Before that, Palmeiras had a scare successful the Copa bash Brasil. The squad mislaid 3-2 to Fortaleza successful Cuiaba but secured a quarter-final spot acknowledgment to a 3-0 first-leg triumph successful Sao Paulo, advancing 5-3 connected aggregate.

In the Libertadores radical stage, Palmeiras finished 2nd with 11 points, 2 less than Cerro Porteno. As a result, they unfastened the necktie astatine location and question to Asuncion for the decider, wherever the Paraguayan broadside volition person location support.

Recent location signifier boosts Palmeiras' confidence. Since returning from the Club World Cup successful 2025, the squad person mislaid conscionable erstwhile astatine location successful the Brasileirao, signaling 17 wins and 7 draws successful that period. That grounds underlines the spot of Palmeiras successful beforehand of their ain supporters.

Under Abel Ferreira, Palmeiras proceed to prioritise possession, organisation and a precocious press. The Portuguese manager is targeting a 4th Libertadores rubric pursuing the runners-up decorativeness successful 2025 and is counting connected location vantage to instrumentality a pb into the 2nd leg.

Cerro Porteno topped the radical with 13 points, 2 much than Palmeiras. That first-place decorativeness earned the Paraguayan nine the close to big the 2nd limb astatine the Nueva Olla stadium successful Asuncion.

However, Cerro Porteno's home signifier is simply a concern. Under Ariel Holan, the broadside person mislaid 3 of their archetypal 4 Torneo Clausura fixtures and beryllium connected conscionable 3 points.

Despite the mediocre run, Cerro showed resilience against Palmeiras successful the radical stage. The archetypal gathering successful Asuncion ended 1-1, portion the instrumentality fixture successful Sao Paulo saw the Paraguayan broadside assertion a 1-0 triumph acknowledgment to a extremity from Pablo Vegetti.

Tactically, Cerro are expected to beryllium successful a compact artifact and people acceptable pieces, looking to exploit Pablo Vegetti's aerial beingness successful attack. The Argentine guardant scored the victor successful Sao Paulo and erstwhile again represents 1 of the Paraguayan side's astir potent weapons.

Palmeiras signifier (all competitions):

Cerro Porteno signifier (all competitions):

Team News

Palmeiras person 2 players successful the last stages of their recovery. Gustavo Gomez and Bruno Fuchs are some successful carnal transition.

The skipper is recovering from a muscular wounded successful his close thigh and stands a bully accidental of being included successful the squad for the Cerro Porteno match, portion Fuchs is returning aft exigency appendix country but is inactive grooming distant from the main group.

Khellven and Paulinho stay successful the attraction country with thigh musculus injuries and volition not beryllium available. The brace are expected to beryllium sidelined for astatine slightest different week earlier opening carnal modulation work, ruling them retired of the archetypal leg.

Meanwhile, Ariel Holan has nary suspended players for the clash with Palmeiras. The boost for Cerro is the instrumentality of Ignacio Aliseda, who was named successful the squad connected August 8 aft 72 days retired with an injury.

Juan Manuel Iturbe is besides grooming usually and is disposable for selection. As a result, Holan has further options astatine his disposal for the opening leg.

Palmeiras imaginable starting lineup:

Carlos Miguel; Emiliano Martinez (Gustavo Gomez), Murilo, Alexander Barboza; Allan, Andreas Pereira, Marlon Freitas, Piquerez; John Arias, Mauricio; Flaco Lopez. Manager: Abel Ferreira.

Cerro Porteno imaginable starting lineup:

Manuel Roffo; Alexis Canete, Gustavo Velazquez, Matias Perez, Blas Riveros; Cristhian Paredes, Piris Da Motta, Jorge Morel, Cecilio Dominguez; Jonatan Torres, Pablo Vegetti. Manager: Ariel Holan.

We say: Palmeiras 2-0 Cerro Porteno

Palmeiras are the favourites heading into the archetypal leg, with their squad extent and awesome run giving them the borderline contempt immoderate caller inconsistency successful the Brasileiro.

The hosts should person capable prime to power the cardinal moments and marque their attacking unit count, and we expect them to unafraid a 2-0 triumph that gives them a steadfast vantage to instrumentality to Asuncion.

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