Palmeiras vs Vitoria Prediction: Camutanga caught between a Roque and a hard place

After drawing 2-2 at Atletico-MG in the opening round last week, last season's Brazilian Serie A runners-up, Palmeiras, will be targeting all three points on Thursday (00:30 GMT) when they host Vitoria, who finished 15th, 21 points behind the Verdao, in 2025.

Below are my Palmeiras vs Vitoria predictions, supported by all the latest team news and match odds, ahead of this midweek meeting at Allianz Parque in Sao Paulo.

Sports Welcome Offer

New customers only. Deposit via Debit Card & place first bet £10+ (1/1+) on Sports in 7 days. £30 Sports & £20 Acca Free Bets within 10 hrs of settlement. 7-day expiry. Eligibility, payment excl. & T&Cs Apply.

Sports Welcome Offer

New customers only. Deposit via Debit Card & place first bet £10+ (1/1+) on Sports in 7 days. £30 Sports & £20 Acca Free Bets within 10 hrs of settlement. 7-day expiry. Eligibility, payment excl. & T&Cs Apply.

Team News

Former Bayer Leverkusen forward Paulinho (shin), Lucas Evangelista (hamstring) and Felipe Anderson (ankle) are out injured for Palmeiras, who have loaned Raphael Veiga out to Club America in the last few days.

Vitor Roque came off the bench and scored Palmeiras' second goal at Atletico-MG last week, and after playing the duration of their 1-0 Paulista defeat at Botafogo SP last weekend, head coach Abel Ferreira is likely to start the ex-Barcelona striker up top on Thursday.

Football Odds

As for Jair Ventura's Vitoria, Edu (thigh), Fintelman (hip), Ruben Ismael, Lucas Arcanjo, Claudinho and Ruben Ramos (all knee) are all sidelined.

Palmeiras vs Vitoria Odds

Palmeiras are 1/3 favourites to collect all three points, implying a 75% probability of success, while Vitoria are 17/2, or a 10.5% chance, to spring a surprise in Sao Paulo, with the draw offered at 18/5.

Double Chance - Draw or Vitoria @ 21/10

Palmeiras are obviously a much better side with much better players, but the Verdao have endured a difficult start to the season, following up a Serie A stalemate at Atletico-MG, where they took the lead, with defeat to Botafogo SP, who went down to 10 men in the 64th minute, in the Paulista.

Last season's runners-up failed to get the better of Vitoria home (2-2) and away (0-0) in 2025, too, so the visitors shouldn't be overawed by the occasion on Thursday.

Today's Football Fixtures

Vitoria ended last year with just one defeat in their final seven games (W4, D2), winning three of their last four (L1), and they made a winning start to the Serie A season last week, beating Remo 2-0 in Salvador.

In seven competitive contests this season, encompassing the Baiano and Serie A, Vitoria have lost just once (W3, D3), and with Palmeiras yet to fully get going in 2026, they may feel like there is an opportunity to take something from Thursday's match.

Player to Receive a Card - Camutanga (Cleidson de Souza Silva) @ 21/10

Cleidson de Souza Silva, otherwise known as Camutanga, was a regular in referee notebooks last year, picking up five yellow cards in 14 Serie B games for Remo before making a mid-season switch to Vitoria, for whom he was booked seven times in 15 Serie A appearances, averaging 1.3 fouls per game.

The 32-year-old has already been cautioned twice this term, receiving first-half yellows against Sao Paulo and Bahia before being substituted at half-time of both Baiano contests.

On Thursday, Camutanga is likely to be paying close attention to Palmeiras centre-forward Vitor Roque, who averaged 2.8 fouls won per game in Serie A last season, despite nine of his 33 appearances coming as a substitute.

The 20-year-old was fouled twice against Botafogo SP last weekend, and one of those fouls resulted in a second yellow for the home side's centre-back, Vilar.

Fellow centre-back Lucas Halter was booked for upending the Palmeiras star in November, and the same happened in the August head-to-head, which Camutanga didn't feature in.

Lucas Halter, however, is now in the USA with the Houston Dynamo, so it's Camutanga who takes my fancy to go into the book on Thursday.