Palmeiras vs Cruzeiro Prediction: 21/7/2024

Palm trees
Shape: LWDWWL

Palmeiras will be hoping to bounce back from a 1-0 defeat to Botafogo in their last Serie A match. Despite having 57% possession and making 18 attempts on goal, they only managed five. Botafogo, who made 16 attempts and scored seven, secured victory with a goal from Tiquinho Soares in the 56th minute.

Under the guidance of Abel Ferreira, Palmeiras have scored nine goals in their last six games, but conceded seven. Their recent performances show that Palmeiras:

• Are unbeaten in their last five league games against Cruzeiro.
• Have not lost their last six league games at home.

Cruzeiro
Form: WLLWW

Cruzeiro go into this match on the back of a 2-1 win over Red Bull Bragantino. They had 53% possession and 10 attempts on goal, four of which were on target. Gabriel Veron scored early in the 8th minute and Matheus Pereira added another in the 84th minute. Despite Thiago Borbas scoring for Red Bull Bragantino in the 95th minute, Cruzeiro secured the win.

Cruzeiro’s defence has been solid of late, conceding just four goals in their last six games, while their attack has scored 10. Their away form against Palmeiras has been poor, however, as they have failed to win in their last six league visits.

One on one

Looking at their last six head-to-head matches since 31 May 2018, Palmeiras have won four matches, Cruzeiro one, and one match ended in a draw. In these encounters, 11 goals have been scored, with Palmeiras eight and Cruzeiro three, for an average of 1.83 goals per match.

Their last league match was on 7 December 2023 and ended in a 1–1 draw. Cruzeiro had 56% possession and 14 shots on target, with Nikão scoring in the 80th minute. Palmeiras managed eight shots, with Endrick scoring in the 21st minute.

Prediction

We expect Palmeiras to find the net more often against Cruzeiro, who may struggle to score. Our prediction is a 2-0 win for Palmeiras.

Our expert partners predict less than 3.5 goals for this match.