Internacional can end a two-match winless slide in the Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A when they welcome Palmeiras to Estadio Beira-Rio on Sunday.
Last weekend, Colorado suffered a 2-0 defeat at Fluminense, putting them three points behind Palestra, who drew Flamengo 1-1 in their previous league fixture.
Match preview
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Heading into July on a five-match domestic unbeaten run, Mano Menezes has suddenly seen his side cool off, without a goal in consecutive top-flight encounters.
This team are currently 12th in the table, earning 21 points after 14 league fixtures, three fewer than they managed at this stage last season.
So far in 2023, Clube do Povo have played passively for the most part, often appearing more worried about preserving a lead than adding to it.
While they have dropped four points when scoring the opening goal this season, Internacional have usually maintained their advantages, winning four domestic encounters when drawing first blood and coming back to win twice when conceding first.
Over the past year, Internacional supporters have rarely left a domestic encounter at Estadio Beira-Rio disappointed, winning 15 of their 19 Serie A fixtures played there from June 24, 2022 until now, losing just once in Porto-Alegre over that stretch.
Last year, they ended a three-match losing run against Verdao in the top flight, blanking them 3-0, one of only three defeats for Palestra domestically in 2022.
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A season removed from their outstanding 2022 top-flight campaign, things have not gone as smoothly for Abel Ferreira and his side in 2023.
The reigning Serie A champions are on their longest winless run in league play (four matches) since 2020 (five games), dropping six points when leading in the second half this season.
After only 14 matches, Palmeiras have already suffered two defeats, one fewer than they had incurred in their entire 2022 Serie A campaign.
Not only has their form been uncharacteristically poor of late, without a win in their previous four matches in all competitions, but more salt was rubbed in their wounds this week when they crashed out of the Copa do Brasil, squandering a 1-0 lead at home to their biggest rivals Sao Paulo, losing that quarter-final match 2-1, as they were eliminated 3-1 on aggregate.
They are winless in three successive away matches in all competitions, conceding 13 goals in the top flight this year, three more than at this same point in 2022.
Palestra have not lost consecutive matches versus Internacional since dropping five in a row to them from 2011 to 2014 in the Brasilerio Serie A.
Team News
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Internacional might not have Pedro Henrique back until late July because of a sore thigh, while Mauricio is a few weeks away from fully healing from his muscle injury.
John Victor stopped three shots to collect a clean sheet in their previous Serie A home fixture, which ended in a 0-0 draw versus Cruzeiro, while their leading goalscorer Wanderson has not found the back of the net domestically since notching the winner against Vasco da Gama (2-1).
In the previous meeting with Palestra last season, Mauricio and Alemao each had a goal and an assist, former centre-forward Braian Romero had an insurance marker and Keiller made five stops for the shutout.
Verdao had two new faces in their starting 11 this week against Sao Paulo, who did not begin the previous domestic fixture with Flamengo as Ze Rafael and Endrick replaced Gabriel Menino and Artur.
Joaquin Piquerez notched the only goal in their defeat to Sao Paulo, while Dudu was the lone Palstra player to find the back of the net in their draw versus Flamengo.
Rony, who had 12 goals for this team in its title-winning campaign, only has two this year, while Weverton, who led Serie A regarding clean sheets last season (16), has three thus far in 2023, the last one occurring on June 11 away to Sao Paulo (2-0).
Internacional possible starting lineup:
Victor; Bustos, Vitao, Mercado, Rene; Romulo, Aranguiz, De Pena; Valencia, Alemao, Wanderson
Palmeiras possible starting lineup:
Weverton; Mayke, Luan, Gomez, Piquerez; Menino, Fabinho; Endrick, Veiga, Dudu; Rony
We say: Internacional 0-1 Palmeiras
Losing to Sao Paulo should leave Palestra in a foul mood this weekend, and unlike Internacional, there have been many more positive signs for Palmeiras heading into this encounter, which is why we will give them the edge.
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