Palmeiras’ mental strength is once again an ally in their quest for their first trophy of 2026.

Palmeiras seeks its first title of the season this Sunday against Novorizontino in the Campeonato Paulista.

The mental strength that for a long time was one of the main allies in this cycle of work at Palmeiras under Abel Ferreira’s command, seemed to have been “forgotten” last year, as the team fluctuated considerably during the season and did not show the same power in the finals of the championships it competed in. In 2026, however, this key seems to have turned in favor of Verdão again.

This season, the team is proving to be more experienced and cohesive, even though only two new players have arrived to complete the squad – Marlon Freitas and Jhon Arias. The experience of some, combined with the good form of others, gives the team more confidence in the fans and even in the players themselves. And this has been proven on the field: reaching the Paulista championship final and leading the Brazilian league.

Having won the first leg of the final against Novorizontino 1-0 in Barueri, Abel Ferreira’s team now only needs a draw in Novo Horizonte to secure the state championship title. Entering the game focused and trying to forget the last three finals where they came close will be crucial.

“We know the difficulty we will face, but a final is a final. We have a very good squad mentally and physically, and we are all prepared. Those who start playing, those who come on as substitutes, and even those who aren’t playing are sending positive energy to everyone. We’re going all out,” said midfielder Lucas Evangelista, who recently recovered from a thigh injury and is currently a reserve player for the team.

Palmeiras will travel by bus to play in the final and will stay in a neighboring city; see the logistics.

The club has defined its logistics for playing the return match, scheduled for Sunday (8), at 8:30 pm (Brasília time), and already knows that it will travel by bus to play for the cup, a trip of about 5 hours to Catanduva, a neighboring city of Novo Horizonte, and where the delegation will stay the day before.

Going by plane would not be worthwhile due to the athletes’ fatigue, as they would need to fly to a neighboring city and then travel by bus. Therefore, Palmeiras opted to settle in Catanduva, spend the night in a hotel in the city and, on Sunday (8), the day of the match, go to Novo Horizonte, a journey that takes about 45 minutes.

➡️ With an ‘unprecedented’ victory, Palmeiras takes a step towards their fourth Paulista championship in the Abel era.

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