Fluminense vs Palmeiras preview: an all-Brazilian Libertadores semi-final opens at the Maracanã
Fluminense host Palmeiras at the Maracanã in the first leg of the Copa Libertadores semi-final, with the return leg in São Paulo a week later. Both reached the last four after close quarter-finals: Fluminense beat Platense 3-2 on aggregate, while Palmeiras edged LDU Quito on penalties after a 3-3 aggregate draw.
Palmeiras arrive in better form. They are second in the Brasileirão, a point behind Flamengo, unbeaten in their last five league games, and beat Corinthians 4-1 on Sunday. Fluminense are fourth and lost the Rio derby 1-0 to Flamengo at the weekend, although they had beaten Coritiba 4-0 a few days earlier.
The two clubs know each other well from the league. Of their last eight meetings, Fluminense have won four and Palmeiras three, with one draw, and the most recent one, in August, went Fluminense's way, 3-2 in Rio.
2 : 4
1 : 3
0 : 1
