Palmeiras vs Novorizontino Prediction: Palmeiras is the favorite to reach the final

The Brazilian and Paulista champion hosts Novorizontino, a Série B side, in a one-legged semi-final. Palmeiras has the home advantage by finishing above its opponent in the Paulistão first stage. The two teams already met at the start of the competition, in Round 1, and the match ended in a one-goal draw. Palmeiras started the season with some poor displays but has risen to a higher level during the competition, making it the favorite side for this game.

After finishing the group stage of the Paulistão unbeaten, the Verdão hosted and thrashed Ponte Preta 5-1 in the quarter-finals. The club aims to win the Campeonato Paulista for the third time in a row, and with big rivals São Paulo and Corinthians both out, everything seems to be on track. Should Palmeiras eliminate Novorizontino, it will face either Santos or RB Bragantino, which will face each other in the other semi-final. After scoring goals for Brazil against England and Spain, Endrick is very confident, but whether he'll be in the starting eleven depends on his physical condition.

The Tiger of the Valley will try to pull off a big surprise and reach the Paulistão final for the second time. In its only final, the Novo Horizonte club lost 1-0 to Bragantino in 1990. The penalty shoot-out victory over São Paulo in the quarter-finals at the Morumbi stadium showed that despite playing in the Série B, Novorizontino's team has quality. Last season, the club missed out on promotion to the Série A by just one point, and it seems only a matter of time before it rises to the top of Brazilian football. If the semi-final ends in a draw after 90 minutes, it will immediately go to penalties, with no extra time, so the Tiger will likely try to repeat the quarter-final strategy.

Palmeiras is much more used to playing in advanced stages of competitions, such as semi-finals and finals. Apart from the superior quality of its players, Abel Ferreira's team's experience at this level is also not comparable to Novorizontino's. Still, a surprise can always happen. It's worth remembering that the Tiger eliminated São Paulo in the quarter-finals. I'm backing Palmeiras to win, but I'll add a total of goals under five to the bet as the odds are low.