In the early hours of Thursday, Palmeiras and Deportivo Pereira clash at the Allianz Parque in the Copa Libertadores quarter-final second leg. The Brazilian team claimed a resounding 4-0 win in the first leg and are massive favourites to make it to the last four of the competition.
Palmeiras form guideAbel Ferreira’s team will be delighted with the 4-0 first-leg win, and it would take something extraordinary to prevent them from progressing to the Copa Libertadores' semi-finals.
The victory is part of a four-game winning run for Palmeiras in all competitions. A 1-0 home win over Vasco da Gama also means that Palmeiras has kept clean sheets in their last five games.
The Verdao have an excellent recent record in the Copa Libertadores, as they are unbeaten in eight games, recording seven wins and a draw. Once again, Palmeiras’ defensive solidity has played a big part in the run, as they have kept clean sheets in six of their last seven games in the competition.
Deportivo Pereira form guideThe Colombian team will know that they will have to come up with something special to progress to the next round of the competition. In truth, Deportivo’s recent form has been inconsistent, with a record of two wins, two draws and two defeats illustrating those recent mixed fortunes perfectly.
The Copa Libertadores debutants have enjoyed a respectable campaign. However, they have now won just one of their previous five games in the competition. Their recent games in the Copa Libertadores have been relatively low-scoring, with under 2.5 goals scored in five of their last six outings.
Deportivo Pereira has failed to win any of their four away games in the Copa Libertadores, picking up two draws and suffering two defeats.
What am I backing?There is only one team I can back to win this one, and it’s the home side.
