The opening semi-final match at the 2022 Copa Libertadores will feature a titanic tussle of Brazilian heavyweights as Athletico Paranaense host Palmeiras in the first leg on Tuesday at Arena de Baixada.
Since edging Estudiantes in the second leg of their quarter-final clash, the 2021 Copa Sudamericana champions are winless in four straight matches in all competitions, though they were the last team to defeat Palestra over 90 minutes, blanking them 2-0 in early July in league play.
Match preview
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After squeaking through their previous two knockout stage ties by the thinnest of margins, beginning on Tuesday El Paranaense will face their stiffest challenge to date at the Libertadores.
It will be their first appearance at this stage of the competition since 2005, when they put together an impressive opening leg versus Mexican side Chivas Guadalajara, winning 3-0 at home, and capturing the tie 5-2 on aggregate before losing the final to Sao Paulo 5-1 after two legs.
Manager Luiz Felipe Scolari is seeking his third Libertadores title, leading Gremio to the trophy in 1995 before capturing the championship four years later as the coach of Palmeiras.
Since this tournament began back in April, Paranaense have developed a knack for the dramatic, scoring a number of late goals.
They captured their tie versus Estudiantes with a 96th-minute winner after scoring in the 90th minute versus Libertad in the last 16 on July 5, a goal which propelled them beyond that stage of the competition.
Seven of their 12 goals scored in this year's Libertadores have come in the second half, while six of their nine goals conceded have also come in the final 45 minutes.
After defeating Verdao at the start of last month, Furacao have struggled with consistency, with their longest winning streak since that triumph being just two games.
El Paranaese have not lost at home in the 2022 Libertadores, posting three clean sheets and outscoring their opponents by a 10-2 margin.
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In the last eight of this tournament, Palmeiras were pushed to the limit against the reigning Brazilian champions Atletico Mineiro, as Palestra came back from a two-goal deficit in the opening leg before winning the tie at home in a sudden death penalty shootout.
That was by far the stiffest test that Abel Ferreira's men had faced in the competition this time around as they cruised through the 2022 group stage, winning all six of their matches, and having no trouble getting past Cerro Porteno in the last 16, advancing 8-0 on aggregate.
Losing to El Paranaense last month seemed to spark this team, who have not lost in normal time since that defeat, posting three clean sheets in their last five road games in the Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A.
They currently hold an eight-point lead atop the domestic table, drawing the two teams who are just behind them by a 1-1 score (Flamengo and Fluminense), while also blanking Corinthians in the middle of August, 1-0.
Palmeiras have not lost an away fixture in the Semi-Finals of this competition since 2018 when they dropped the opening leg 2-0 at Boca Juniors and lost the tie 4-2 on aggregate.
In their previous nine Libertadores campaigns, Palestra have never lost a road fixture to a side from Brazil, suffering just one defeat to a Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A opponent over that span.
Their previous defeat to a Brazilian side at this tournament came at home in 2019 when they lost 2-1 to Gremio, after winning the opening fixture 1-0, thus losing the tie (2-2) on away goals.
The reigning two-time winners of this event have gone unbeaten up to this stage of the competition for the first time since 2020, and with three more wins, they would become the first club since Corinthians in 2012 to lift the trophy without losing a single match.
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Team News
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Vitor Roque scored the winner for Athletico versus Estudiantes, helping them make it into the final four, his first of the competition, with Vitinho assisting.
Pablo and Christian are tied for first on the team with two tallies each at this year's tournament, while Abner and David Terans are even with two assists a piece.
Roque and Vitor Bueno each scored in their 2-0 triumph over Palmeiras earlier this season, while Bento, who has five clean sheets to date in the 2022 Libertadores, made five saves for the shutout against Verdao back in July.
Christian is not expected back from his sore knee until early September, Marlos could be out again with a calf strain, while Marcelo Cirino is done for the season with an ACL injury.
Murilo and Danilo scored second-half goals enabling Palmeiras to come back from 2-0 down to draw their opening Quarter-Final fixture with Atletico Mineiro, though it was Weverton who wound up as the hero, stopping Rubens from the penalty spot in the second leg, enabling his side to advance.
Rafael Navarro and Rony are tied for second in goals at this competition, having each tallied seven times, while Raphael Veiga has six and Wesley leads them with three assists.
Danilo and Gustavo Scarpa will be suspended for this encounter after each receiving red cards in the second leg against Atletico, while Gustavo Gomez has seven goals domestically for Palestra this season but has yet to tally in this competition.
Athletico Paranaense possible starting lineup:
Bento; Abner, Heleno, Henrique, Khellven; Moura, Fernandinho; Cuello, Terans, Vitinho; Pablo
Palmeiras possible starting lineup:
Weverton; Rocha, Gomez, Murilo, Piquerez; Jailson, Ze Rafael; Lopes, Veiga, Navarro; Rony
We say: Athletico Paranaense 1-1 Palmeiras
Furacao have conceded a goal or fewer in eight consecutive home matches in all competitions, and while they are one of the few teams who hold a victory against Palmeiras this season, their inconsistent form of late makes it difficult for us to see them as the clear winners in this contest.
It appears as though it will take something special to beat this Palestra side, who look as hungry and determined as ever to win it all once again, while they have reacted well in the face of adversity and always seem to find another gear.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Joel Lefevre
