A rearranged gameweek six fixture in Brasileiro will be played out this week when Atletico Mineiro take on Gremio in a crucial mid-table battle at Arena MRV on Thursday night.
The hosts will enter this encounter in 10th place in the league standings with 37 points, while the visitors are right behind them on 35 points, though they have played a game more.
Match preview
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Last season Atletico Mineiro posted their best league finish of third place since their title-winning campaign in 2021, but they seem increasingly unlikely to crack the top four this term, currently trailing fourth-placed Flamengo by 14 points.
After 27 games in the league season, Galo have delivered a record of nine wins, 10 draws and eight losses, with their most recent match ending in an entertaining 2-2 draw at home to Vitoria over the weekend.
However, despite their mixed league form this term, Gabriel Milito's men are having a very promising campaign in the cup competitions, with their place already booked in the semi-final of both the Copa Libertadores and Copa do Brasil.
In the continental competition, Galo will do battle with Argentine giants River Plate at the end of the month, while in the domestic cup, they are already holding a 2-1 advantage heading into the second leg against Vasco da Gama on October 19.
While challenging the sides at the top of the league table may prove a bridge too far this season, the main goal for Atletico will be to maintain momentum as they close in on a potential double.
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Meanwhile, Gremio have fought their way back into mid-table, and while they are also unlikely to reach the levels they managed last term, securing a spot in the Copa Sudamericana next season will feel like a positive outcome after a challenging first half of the campaign.
Indeed, after the heavy rains caused widespread flooding in the southern Brazilian state, Imortal Tricolor were forced to play their home games away from Gremio Arena for a significant chunk of the season.
Last time out, though, the Imortal clinched an impressive 3-1 home win against title contenders Fortaleza, with Alexander Aravena, Martin Braithwaite and Yeferson Soteldo all getting on the scoresheet on the night.
On the road, Renato Gaucho's side are now unbeaten in their last five games and picked up 11 points in that time, which is a significant turnaround from managing just two points in their eight previous outings.
When these sides last met at Arena do Gremio in September, the hosts on the day suffered a 3-2 defeat in a match that saw all five goals scored in the final 15 minutes of regulation time.
Team News
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Milito will have to reorganise his squad this weekend, as three of his first-team players - Junior Alonso, Eduardo Vargas, and Alan Franco - have left to join their national teams for the next couple of weeks.
In addition to dealing with a five-man injury list, Galo will also be without their first-choice goalkeeper Everson for the upcoming match due to the direct red card he received in their previous game.
On a positive note, Atletico's top two goal scorers this term Hulk and Paulinho will be available for selection, ready to partner up in attack.
Like their opponents, Gremio will also be affected by the international break, as Yeferson Soteldo and Mathias Villasanti have joined their national teams, making them unavailable for selection this week.
The visitors will also be without Joao Pedro and Fabio da Silva, who are suspended due to disciplinary issues. They will join the sidelined duo of Gustavo Martins (thigh) and Andre Henrique (ankle), both of whom are expected to return before the end of the month.
Atletico Mineiro possible starting lineup:
Mendes; Saravia, Battaglia, Lyanco, Rubens; Scarpa, Otavio, Vera, Gomes; Paulinho, Hulk
Gremio possible starting lineup:
Marchesin; Schlemper, Jemerson, Kannemann, Reinaldo; Dodi, Pepe, Edenilson; Cristaldo, Braithwaite, Aravena
We say: Atletico Mineiro 2-2 Gremio
While Atletico Mineiro have the home advantage in this match, Gremio have been churning out results recently, particularly on the road, where they are unbeaten in five games.
We are expecting a few goals in this match, but feel there will be nothing to split these sides two at the final whistle.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Devesh Jaganath
