Palmeiras and Botafogo will kick off the Round of 16 in the FIFA Club World Cup with an all-Brazilian showdown.
The FIFA Club World Cup Round of 16 will kick off with none other than two Brazilian powerhouses, both enjoying a dream run this season. Reigning Copa Libertadores champions Botafogo will face off against the mighty Palmeiras in a clash that promises fireworks.
Abel Ferreira’s squad reached this stage after finishing first in Group A, collecting 5 points from three matches and edging out Inter Miami for the top spot. They began their campaign with a scoreless draw against Porto, followed by a 2-0 win over Al Ahly, and wrapped up the group stage with a thrilling 2-2 draw against Lionel Messi’s team.
Meanwhile, Fogao finished second in Group B, just behind reigning UEFA Champions League winners PSG. The Brazilian side arguably had one of the most competitive and balanced groups in the tournament, managing to advance while knocking out both Atletico Madrid and the Seattle Sounders.
The stage is set at Lincoln Financial Field — home of the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles — where these two Brazilian giants will battle for a spot in the quarterfinals and keep their dreams alive in this thrilling tournament.
Abel Ferreira’s likely starting lineup
With the main goal of overcoming Botafogo — and with confirmed injuries ruling out Murilo Cerqueira, Vitor Figueiredo and Bruno Rodrigues — this is the starting XI Verdao is expected to field.
Weverton; Marcos Rocha, Gustavo Gomez, Bruno Fuchz, Joaquin Piquerez; Richard Rios, Anibal Moreno; Estevao, Raphael Veiga, Facundo Torres; Vitor Roque.
Botafogo’s potential starting XI
Renato Paiva’s side will be dealing with a few absences due to both injuries and suspensions, which could lead to some changes compared to the lineup that faced Atletico Madrid in their last match.
Gregore will be unavailable due to yellow card accumulation, while Jeffinho, Bastos, and Matheus Martins are all set to miss this crucial match due to injury.
With that in mind, this is the projected starting XI Paiva is expected to field against Palmeiras: John; Vitinho, Jair, Alexander Barboza, Alex Telles; Allan, Danilo Barbosa, Marlon Freitas; Artur, Igor Jesus, Jefferson Savarino.
From: bolavip.com
