Palmeiras backed to see off Atletico Mineiro at home

Palmeiras host Atletico Mineiro in the Brasileiro on Monday morning, and with their strong recent form plus home advantage, the league leaders look well placed to take all three points.

Although Palmeiras previously lost 1-0 at home to Botafogo in the Copa Libertadores, a result that ended their 29-match unbeaten home run in continental competition, the team responded impressively rather than letting it affect them. They turned that disappointment into motivation and won their next four matches in a row. In the Libertadores against Juventude FC, Palmeiras cruised to a 4-1 victory thanks to goals from Jhon Arias and others, sealing a 10th consecutive qualification for the round of 16 and giving the squad a major lift.

In the league, Palmeiras currently sit top of the table with 44 points. They rank among the top three attacking sides in the division and also boast the best defensive record. With a strong attack, a solid back line and excellent momentum, Palmeiras appear clear favorites in this round.

Atletico Mineiro made a poor start to this season's Brasileiro, going winless through the opening four rounds with two draws and two defeats, prompting the club to change managers. Eduardo Dominguez was appointed, but the Argentine has not produced especially impressive results so far, posting a modest record of 13 wins, 3 draws and 9 defeats in 25 matches across all competitions.

After 19 league matches, Atletico Mineiro have recorded 7 wins, 4 draws and 8 losses for a total of 25 points, leaving them a full 19 points behind Palmeiras. There is also a clear gap between the two sides in both quality and overall performance. In addition, Atletico Mineiro have failed to win any of their last five meetings with Palmeiras, losing four of them. In those defeats, they conceded at least two goals per game and 14 in total. Facing a Palmeiras side in peak form again, Atletico Mineiro look set for another difficult night.