Sao Paulo will look to continue their solid run of form in Brasileiro when they travel to Arena MRV to take on Atletico Mineiro on Friday morning.
The hosts enter this match with 18 points and in 12th place in the league standings, while the visitors are now fourth with 27 points after 15 games.
Match preview
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After ending last season in a very impressive third place, Atletico Mineiro have struggled to find their rhythm this term, and are steadily slipping in the league standings, currently just six points above the drop zone.
They have recorded four wins, six draws and four losses in their 14 games to date, and head into this week's contest following back-to-back defeats, including a 4-2 loss to league leaders Flamengo and a 3-0 drubbing at the hands of Botafogo last week.
With those results, Galo are now winless in their last three league matches and have only managed one victory in their last seven - a last-minute 2-1 victory against Internacional at the end of last month.
Additionally, Atletico also have the third-worst home record in the division this season, with just one victory recorded in seven matches at Arena MRV which came back in April. The side is currently on a five-match winless streak on their home patch (W0 D3 L2).
Since taking over from Luiz Felipe Scolari back in March, Gabriel Milito has steered Galo to the last 16 of the Copa Libertadores this season, but given their league struggles, the new boss is certain to be feeling the pressure mounting.
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In contrast, after only managing 11th place last term, Sao Paulo have been much improved this season, currently holding a record of eight wins, three draws and four losses - trailing the league leaders by just four points.
Tricolor Paulista earned a 2-0 home win last weekend against RB Bragantino, extending their current winning streak to four league matches in a row, during which they scored two or more goals in each game.
Against Massa Bruta, Andre Silva and Luciano both got on the scoresheet, with the latter bagging his sixth goal of the season, which now puts him joint-second in the leading goalscorer standings in the top flight, one off Flamengo's Pedro.
Like their opponents here, Luis Zubeldia's side are still standing in the Copa Libertadores having topped their group, and they will face off against Uruguayan outfit Nacional in the round of 16 which is scheduled to get underway next month.
On the road this season, Sao Paulo have the league's fourth-best record of 11 points from seven games. However, they were beaten 2-1 by this opponent at this venue last season, which was their sixth consecutive match against Galo without victory.
Team News
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The hosts have a number of players unavailable for this match, including Igor Rabello, who was sent off against Botafogo, and he will start the first of his three-match suspension this week.
In terms of injury absentees, Mariano, Everson, Alisson Santana and Rubens are out for the rest of the month, while Matias Zaracho, Renzo Saravia and Mauricio Lemos are flagged as doubts.
Nahuel Ferraresi, Rafael and Damian Bobadilla could return to action for Sao Paulo this week, following their quarter-final eliminations from Copa America. James Rodriguez is still away with Colombia, who are set to face Uruguay on Thursday.
Michel Araujo is suffering from a sprained knee and is expected to remain sidelined until next month, while Joao Moreira and Pablo Maia are both out with thigh injuries for at least another couple of weeks.
Atletico Mineiro possible starting lineup:
Mendes; Battaglia, Rabello, Fuchs; Otavio, Franco, Monteiro, Scarpa, Paulinho; Hulk, Cadu
Sao Paulo possible starting lineup:
Rafael; Welington, Franco, Arboleda, Vinicius; Gustavo, Alisson, Moura, Rato, Neves; Andre
We say: Atletico Mineiro 1-2 Sao Paulo
While Atletico Mineiro have been the dominant side in this fixture over the last few years, they have struggled for wins this season and their home record is among the worst in the division.
Sao Paulo, on the other hand, are a side on the up this season, currently on a four-match league winning streak, and we feel they will add to that record with another victory in this one.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Devesh Jaganath
