Author: Soorya G
The 22nd round of the Brazilian Serie A Championship is scheduled for next weekend, with leaders Botafogo coming off the back of a surprise Copa Sudamericana elimination against Defensa y Justicia of Argentina. The table leaders will face Flamengo, who have managed to bounce back from their Copa Libertadores exit with a four-match unbeaten run, which also included a Copa do Brasil win over Gremio. Other important matches taking place at the weekend include second-placed Palmeiras against Corinthians away and Gremio’s clash against Cuiabá on Saturday. Meanwhile, Fluminense will play Fortaleza just four days after the latter face América Mineiro in the second leg of the Copa Sudamericana quarter-finals. There’s no doubt that this will be an exciting match. Although Botafogo have a considerable lead at the top, there is a great deal of confusion in the middle of the table, where teams will be trying to catch up.
Atlético Paranense vs Atlético MG
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Another mid-table battle looms, with Atlético MG taking on Paranense at the Ligga Arena. Champions in 2021, Mineiro have not had the best of seasons, suffering seven defeats in their campaign. Meanwhile, Paranense haven’t been able to overcome their mid-table position for some time, but seem to be in good shape. The expected scoreline suggests a draw on Saturday.
Goiás vs Internacional
Two teams from the bottom half of the table will face each other in an attempt to break into the top half of the Brazilian top flight. Hosts Goiás, on the other hand, have been in good form, but haven’t been able to find the lifeblood in their games, often coming away with draws. Internacional, for their part, have been completely inconsistent and, despite beating Bolivar in the Copa Libertadores, Goiás are expected to win by a goal.
Botafogo vs Flamengo
After an unbeaten run of almost 20 games, Botafogo finally tasted defeat against Defensa y Justicia in the second leg of the Copa Sudamericana. The 2-1 defeat saw the team eliminated from the competition, but this means that the team will focus exclusively on securing the league title as soon as possible. The first opponent will be Flamengo, who are doing very well, in fourth place in the league standings. With two defeats and two draws in their last four games, they want to keep Botafogo in their own backyard, as a win would close the gap between them and second place. A 2-1 win for Flamengo could well happen.
Gremio-Cuiabá
Two underperforming teams will face each other with Grêmio taking on Cuiabá, who are in mid-table. Gremio have not been in the best of form over the last month, with four defeats in their last eight games, while Cuiabá’s six-game winning streak has been broken by a run of three defeats. Although the teams look similar in terms of form, Gremio, on paper, appear to be the better side and could come away with a 2-0 victory.
Corinthians vs Palmeiras
In one of the matches to watch, two of the best teams in the league face off, with Corinthians fresh from a tense victory in the South American Cup. Palmeiras are also in great form and haven’t been beaten in their last six games. Palmeiras will be looking to exploit a possible weakness in the Corinthians’ defense and extend their winning streak with a 1-0 victory.
Fluminense vs Fortaleza
Two consistent teams from the top flight will meet at the weekend, with Fortaleza, who are hoping to reach the semi-finals of the Copa Sudamericana, looking for another win that could take them to fifth place. Fluminense, meanwhile, who are on a good run of form after advancing in the Libertadores, will be looking to keep the pressure on Gremo and Palmeiras. The expectation, however, is for a goalless draw.
América MG vs. Santos
Two titans of Brazilian soccer, currently struggling, will face each other as América Mineiro look to get out of the relegation zone. Santos are also on the brink, but are level on points with Bahia in 17th place. After a recent win against São Paulo, América start as one of the favorites, with the expectation of a 1-0 scoreline.
Bahia v Vasco da Gama
Two relegation-threatened teams meet on Sunday, with relegation-threatened Bahia hoping for a win against relegation-threatened Vasco. Bahia’s recent results have been mixed, with some victories, but mostly defeats and also a few draws. A similar situation befalls Vasco, whose bad run of four consecutive defeats has put them in the fight against relegation. A draw is the prediction for the battle of the bottom sides.
Cruzeiro vs. Red Bull Bragantino
Bragantino may well have their sights set on second place in Brazil’s top flight, as they face a favorable opponent, Cruzeiro, at home. Cruzeiro, who haven’t won in seven games, will want to end that run, but as things stand, it looks like Bragantino could be on course to secure three points with a 3-0 win.
São Paulo-Coritiba
São Paulo face Coritiba, a team that has made several promising changes to its squad. São Paulo have received James Rodrigues and Lucas Moura in recent weeks and will be looking to change their fortunes at the expense of Coritiba, who are in danger of suffering their sixth consecutive defeat.