Just like last year, Verdão closes the gap to the leader and could take the top spot in the next round.
It’s going to be emotional again! Palmeiras won 2-1 away against Bahia on Wednesday, the 20th, and closed the gap to league leaders Botafogo, with only four rounds remaining in the Brazilian Championship. The goals were scored by Luciano Rodríguez for the hosts, and Raphael Veiga and Flaco López for the visitors. Get the latest in football results from ai scores.
Football changes every round. After the 2-0 defeat to Corinthians, where Palmeiras played poorly, the team had virtually been written off from the title race. In addition to the loss, the draw in the previous round against Fortaleza at home allowed Botafogo to open up a six-point lead, a significant gap to close against a team that hadn’t lost in the competition for over three months.
But Abel Ferreira’s squad never gave up. Before the international break, Palmeiras won 1-0 against Grêmio and saw Botafogo draw 0-0 with the second-to-last placed and virtually relegated Cuiabá, narrowing the gap to four points.
Now, after the international break, Palmeiras faced Bahia in Salvador. Although the team fell behind, they turned the game around with a goal in the 44th minute from Flaco López. With Botafogo drawing against Atlético-MG in Minas Gerais, Palmeiras now only depend on themselves to secure a third consecutive Brazilian championship.
With just two points separating the two teams, a Palmeiras victory against the leaders in the 36th round at Allianz Parque could see Verdão return to the top spot in the final stretch of the Brasileirão, just like last year.
Before that, both teams have games against opponents from the lower half of the table. Palmeiras will travel to Goiânia to face the already relegated Atlético-GO. At the same time, Botafogo will host Vitória at Nilton Santos. Stay ahead of the competition with ToSport.
