A priori, Flamengo is the main rival of Gustavo Gómez’s Palmeiras. Photo: Getty.
Palmeiras defends the scepter in the 2023 Brazilian League, which begins this Saturday and also has Flamengo among its favorites, despite still looking for a coach, after the failed experiment with the Portuguese Vítor Pereira.
The tournament, which will be played 20 teamsstarts tomorrow with seven games and another three on Sunday, and will conclude on December 3, after 38 days.
Palmeiras, led by the Paraguayan Gustavo Gómez, comes packed after winning the Paulista Championship and will debut against Cuiabá, who only aspires to stay in the First Division.
Without many stars in his squad, the current champion clings to the discipline imposed by the Portuguese coach Abel Ferreira and he is excited about Endrick, a 16-year-old striker already signed by Real Madrid and who had an irregular start to the season, although he scored his first two goals of the year in the Paulista finals.
He flamencoon the contrary, arrives staggering and injured after Vítor Pereira’s four months at the helm of the teamin which they failed in the FIFA Club World Cup, the Brazilian Super Cup and the South American Cup Winners’ Cup.
KNOW MORE: Flamengo, in open crisis, is looking for a coach
A week ago he was thrashed in the final of the Carioca Championship by Fluminense (4-1) and Pereira was fired, with which the league begins, led on an interim basis by Mário Jorge, coach of the lower categories.
Even so, It has players of the stature of the Uruguayan Giorgian de Arrascaeta, Gabriel Barbosa “Gabigol”, Pedro, Everton Cebolinha and Everton Ribeiro, in a squad that commands respect and that will have its first match on Sunday, against Coritiba.
Beyond the two great favourites, the Fluminense, with a voracious scorer like the Argentine Germán Cano, and who now recovers the veteran winger Marceloafter more than a decade in Europe and his brilliant time at Real Madrid.
KNOW MORE: Marcelo scores in consecration of Fluminense against Flamengo
The “Flu” will be put to the test on Saturday against América Mineiro, which on paper does not present any major risks.
Atletico MineiroAmerica’s great rival, is another team that he always aspires to a lot, but to which the Argentine coach Eduardo Coudet, who arrived at the end of last year, does not finish giving him shape.
in their ranks, highlights the power of the Hulk scorer, that at 36 years old he is still unstoppable and will try to prove it against Vasco da Gama, who returns to the division of honor without much hope.
As well as Vasco, other greats of Brazilian soccer will start the tournament full of uncertainties.
Corinthians, without much ambition, will receive a Cruzeiro who returns after three years in the second division.
Santos, another of the more traditional Brazilian clubs, does not aspire to much and will visit the Gremio, which is also back in first class and has the Uruguayan Luis Suárez as its main figurewho maintains his scoring nose but lacks weight squires.
In a similar situation are Botafogo and Sao Paulo, who meet on Saturday in the first day and they have had the seal of irregularity at the start of the season.
Matches of the first day:
Saturday: Palmeiras-Cuiabá; America Mineiro-Fluminense; Botafogo-Sao Paulo; Bragantino-Bahia; Athletico Paranaense-Goiás; Fortaleza-Internacional, Atlético Mineiro-Vasco da Gama.
Sunday: Flamengo-Coritiba; Corinthians-Cruzeiro; Guild-Santos.
