The second Group A match of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup will be played between Brazilian outfit Palmeiras and Portuguese heavyweights Porto on June 16 at MetLife Stadium, New York, New York.
Here are our preview and prediction for the game.
On the national level, Palmeiras play in the Brazilian top flight, the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A or Brasileirão. In the 2024 season, they finished runners-up to Botafogo, while this season they sit fourth after 11 games — just two points off the top.
The Alviverde have enjoyed massive success in recent years, winning back-to-back Copa Libertadores titles in 2020 and 2021, the Brasileirão in 2022 and 2023, and the Recopa Sudamericana in 2022.
In Abel Ferreira, Palmeiras have a top-class head coach known for his tactical adaptability — alternating between the 3-5-2 and 5-3-2 formations depending on the opposition. They also boast several highly talented players in Estêvão Willian, José Manuel López, Raphael Veiga, Joaquín Piquerez, and Richard Rios. Though Estêvão has already been snapped up by English heavyweights Chelsea, he’s set to represent Palmeiras at the Club World Cup before his impending move to the Blues.
As for Porto, they ended the 2024/25 season in third place in Liga Portugal Betclic — the Portuguese top flight — and were knocked out by Italian giants Roma in the UEFA Europa League knockout play-off tie. While they did win the season-opening Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira last summer by beating Sporting, they failed to add another domestic trophy to their name, exiting the Taça da Liga in the semi-finals and the Taça de Portugal in the fourth round. The Dragões last won Liga Portugal in 2021/22 and the Taça de Portugal in 2023/24.
They boast a bunch of talented players of their own in Martim Fernandes, Rodrigo Mora, Samu Aghehowa, Fábio Vieira, Alan Varela, and Diogo Costa. Fullback Fernandes and winger Mora are the two youngsters to watch out for in particular.
Porto’s current head coach, Martín Anselmi, also prefers a flexible tactical approach, usually going with either a 4-2-3-1 or a 4-3-3. He plays an attacking brand of football, with a strong emphasis on pressing the opposition and building through the flanks, all the while maintaining a high defensive line.
While both teams have exciting players, Porto hold a slight edge in this battle. This has all the makings of a cagey affair, but we back Porto to just about win this encounter.
Score Prediction: Palmeiras 1–2 Porto
Venue: MetLife Stadium, New York
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