Palmeiras and Ceará win in the Copa do Brasil U20 last 16

Palmeiras and Ceará took strong leads in the first legs of the Copa do Brasil Under-20 round of 16 on Thursday (17). Palmeiras beat Botafogo 4-1 at Arena Barueri in Barueri, São Paulo, while Ceará defeated Goiás 3-1 at Cidade Vozão in Itaitinga, Ceará. With these results, both teams can still advance even if they lose the return matches. Palmeiras can afford a defeat by up to two goals, while Ceará can lose by one. The second legs begin next week: Goiás hosts Ceará on Wednesday (21) at 3 p.m. Brasília time at Hailé Pinheiro in Goiânia. Goiás must win by at least two goals to push the tie to penalties, or by three-plus to progress in regulation. On Thursday (22), Botafogo hosts Palmeiras at 4:30 p.m. Brasília time at Nilton Santos in Rio de Janeiro; Botafogo needs at least three goals to reach penalties, or four-plus to qualify outright.