Botafogo vs Palmeiras Prediction and Betting Tips: Best bets for Copa Libertadores clash
Palmeiras make the trip for Sao Paulo to Estadio Nilton Santos in Rio de Janeiro in the early hours of Thursday (1.30am, BST) as they face Botafogo in the first leg of their Copa Libertadores round of 16 tie.
Botafogo vs Palmeiras Predictions
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Palmeiras won the Brazil Serie A title for the 12th time last year, but fifth-place finishers Botafogo appear to have the advantage in 2024 and they can carry that advantage over into the Copa Libertadores when the two Brazilian sides face off in the first leg this week.
Thursday morning’s hosts have never won this competition and are without a top-flight league title since 1995, but if they continue in this vein of form they could be in with a real shot of ending their silverware drought.
However, Palmeiras are only five points adrift of the hosts in the league and have more than enough capability to trouble Botafogo, although their away form may land them in a bit of hot water before the second leg.
Botafogo lost successive games for the first time since April last week, but both those defeats came on their travels and they should be able to swiftly bounce back from this downturn in form as they return to Estadio Nilton Santos for the first time this month.
They have only lost one of their last nine home games in all competitions and have won six of those, keeping a clean sheet in four of those victories.
This is their first year back in the Copa Libertadores since 2017, but they took 10 points from their six group-stage games and have won four of their five home matches in the competition, scoring 14 goals in total.
Palmeiras will not be an easy side to beat, but the visitors have not won an away game since the middle of June and, knowing the home leg is still to come, may settle for a narrow loss rather than risk pushing for an equaliser should they fall behind.
The visitors have lost four and drawn three of their seven away games since their last win on the road, including a defeat to Botafogo in July, so the hosts look good value for the win.
All four of Palmeiras’ recent away defeats have seen them fail to find the net, but they remain relatively tough to break down at the other end and a low-scoring win for the hosts is expected.
Botafogo beat Palmeiras 1-0 last month, and Palmeiras have now conceded exactly one goal in four of their last five away games.
That was the first of two successive 1-0 home wins for Botafogo, and they have scored exactly one goal in three of their last four at Estadio Nilton Santos.
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