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Remind me next time

The Copa Libertadores 2020 Final will take place on Saturday in Rio de Janeiro at the iconic Maracana Stadium. The final will be an all-Brazilian affair as rivals Palmeiras face off against Santos. The two clubs are very familiar with each other. The clubs have already met three times this season in all competitions with two of the three ending in draws while Palmeiras won the other fixture.

The semifinals saw the two clubs excel defensively. Santos defeated Argentina’s Boca Juniors 3-0 over two legs. After the first match finished nil-nil, Santos won 3-0 in the second fixture between the two teams. Palmeiras had it much more difficult in the semifinal round of the Copa Libertadores. They were pushed the entire way by Argentina’s River Plate with the tie ending 3-2 on aggregate. Palmeiras won the first leg 3-0 and just hung on in the second leg, losing 2-0; but advancing to the final thanks to a better aggregate score.

While Santos have been brilliant in the Copa Libertadores tournament, they have not been quite as good in the Brazilian Serie A in recent matches. Santos are on a three-game losing streak in the league as their focus has likely been on the cup. Santos have conceded a remarkable 44 league goals while scoring 44 times. Can Santos continue their excellent cup form and win the Copa Libertadores for a fourth time?

Palmeiras vs Santos Betting Odds

Palmeiras have won the Copa Libertadores just once in their history. Their won win came over two decades ago in 1999. Saturday’s final will be their fifth appearance in the Copa Libertadores Final while Santos will appear in their fifth final as well.

Palmeiras may have just edged out River Plate to reach the final, but they go into the game on Saturday as the favourite to win the game. Leading sportsbooks have the Brazilian club at odds of 6/5 to win at the end of full-time versus Santos. Palmeiras are unbeaten in eight of their last 10 matches in all competitions against Santos. Four of those games ended in wins while four others finished in draws.

Santos are at odds of 14/5 to claim a victory versus Palmeiras on Saturday in the Cope Libertadores Final. The Black and White last defeated Palmeiras in the 2019 Brazilian Serie A. Three matches have occurred since that win with Palmeiras claiming two draws and a victory of their own. Santos have not won the Copa Libertadores since the 2011 season when Neymar led them to the trophy.

The Brazilian clubs are at odds of 11/5 to finish in a draw on Saturday at the Maracana. Four of the last eight games in all competitions between the two teams finished as draws. Although the clubs smashed their Argentine opponents in the Copa Libertadores semifinals, the final should be far more cagey.

Palmeiras vs Santos Team News

Palmeiras manager Abel Ferreira has two players on his injury list heading into the cup final. Wesley and Jean are both ruled out of the fixture due to knee injuries, respectively. The duo is out for the remainder of the season for Ferreira.

Leading goal scorer Dudu goes into the game with 10 goals for the Green and White. Bruno Henrique has scored 10 goals as well. Compared to Santos, Palmeiras have spread out their goal scoring this season in all competitions. Santos have relied heavily on Marinho to get goals for the team. He has scored 16 times for the club. Kaio Jorge leads Santos in goals in the Cope Libertadores tournament with five. Palmeiras’ Luiz Adriano and Rony have both scored five goals for the club in the tournament.

Santos manager Cuca has four players on the injury list going into the Copa Libertadores Final. Jobson is ruled out for the remainder of the campaign due to a knee injury. Carlos Andres Sanchez is also ruled out of the game. He is suffering from a ligament injury. Cuca could have the duo of Raniel and Rafael Longuine back from their respective injury issues. Both are set for returns in January but a lack of match fitness could see one – or both – of the players miss out.

Palmeiras vs Santos Prediction

Both teams to score: YES @ 1/1 - BET NOW

The last two games in all competitions between these clubs finished with both teams finding the back of the net. Both games were played in the Brazilian Serie A with Palmeiras winning 2-1 at home and drawing the away fixture 2-2. Santos concede goals in the Serie A. While they didn’t in the semifinals of the Copa Libertadores versus Boca Juniors, they should allow their Brazilian rival to score.

Palmeiras to win either half @ 4/6 - BET NOW

Palmeiras had some trouble getting past River Plate in the Copa Libertadores semifinals. After winning the first leg 3-0, they lost the second 2-0. Palmeiras arguably played more difficult competition in the semifinals compared to Santos’s game versus Boca Juniors. The game should be a thriller with Palmeiras edging Santos in either half.

Over 2.5 goals scored @ 11/8 - BET NOW

The last two matches played between Palmeiras and Santos in the Brazilian Serie A finished with over 2.5 goals scored. These teams should go out to score goals once more when they meet on Saturday. Neither club have a chance at winning the Brazilian Serie A this term. Therefore, they will fancy their chances of going out and winning the cup final this weekend. Six of the last 11 matches between Palmeiras and Santos in all competitions ended with over 2.5 goals scored. That trend should continue in a cup final thriller.

Neither side are in good form in the league and have thrown all their eggs into the cup basket. Focusing on the cup in spite of the league could be a problem in the end. Santos are on a three-game league losing streak and that could translate over into a cup final loss with Palmeiras claiming a win and just their second-ever Libertadores trophy.

Palmeiras vs Santos Tips

Here are our Palmeriras vs Santos betting tips for Saturday's Copa Libertadores 2020 final.

1. Both teams to score: YES @ 1/1

2. Palmeiras to win either half @ 4/6

3. Over 2.5 goals scored @ 11/8

Copa Libertadores Final Betting Tips