Two of the most well-known names in Brazilian football go head-to-head on Wednesday night. Unfortunately for both, neither are meeting expectations this campaign.
Although they are two of the most respected Brazilian football sides outside of the country, the domestic giants are both struggling against a relegation battle this season.
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Botafogo are in a state of crisis. The Rio de Janeiro-based side have not been at the forefront of Brazilian football for a long time, but this season is marking a new low in their 120-year history. With twelve games remaining in the season they languish in 19th place, having amassed the same number of points as bottom side Coritiba.
Palmeiras are not performing much better. They lie in fifteenth, but only have two more points than Wednesday’s rivals and are also in desperate need of three points to ease their relegation fears. Last time out they picked up a vital win against the team directly below them Chapecoense, and will hope that the feel-good-factor from that victory will provide enough impetus to win back-to-back games for the first time since May.
Both sides are battling an lengthy injury list, though Palmeiras received a boost with the news that central defender Nathan will be available.
Kick-off in the Maracana is at 6:30pm EDT / 3:30pm PDT.
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