RIO DE JANEIRO (Interstat) — A stark contrast in form will be on display Sunday when league-leading Palmeiras visits struggling Juventude in a Carioca Série A fixture.

Palmeiras (12-4-4) enters the match atop the domestic competition standings, having lost just once in its last nine matches across all tournaments. The club is coming off a scoreless draw with Cruzeiro on Oct. 26, which snapped a three-game winning streak in league play. Their potent attack was on full display in a 5-1 rout of RB Bragantino on Oct. 15.

Juventude (7-14-5), mired near the bottom of the table, is looking to halt a slide after a 3-1 loss to Gremio on Oct. 26. Their lone recent bright spot was a 1-0 victory over RB Bragantino on Oct. 20.

The recent head-to-head record heavily favors the visitors. Just three weeks ago, on Oct. 11, Palmeiras handed Juventude a decisive 4-1 defeat.

Despite Palmeiras’s dominance this season, Interstat’s game simulator projects a 1-1 draw for Sunday’s contest. Following this match, Palmeiras will prepare for a home fixture against Santos on Nov. 6, while Juventude travels to face Sport Recife on Nov. 5.