Fortaleza and Athletico Paranaense are locked on 20 points in the Brasileiro table ahead of their showdown at Estadio Governador Placido Castelo on Sunday.
Both sides faced Flamengo in their previous match, with Fortaleza enduring a 2-0 league defeat and Athletico suffering a 2-1 Copa do Brasil loss in midweek.
Match preview
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Following last weekend's defeat to Flamengo, Fortaleza find themselves 11th in the Serie A standings, although they remain just six points behind second-placed Gremio due to the congested nature of the table.
That loss ended a three-game winning streak for the Ceara outfit, who claimed league victories over Cruzeiro and Atletico Mineiro before defeating Palestino in the Copa Sudamericana to finish seven points clear atop Group H.
Although Fortaleza have enjoyed a strong Sudamericana campaign up to now – winning five of their six group games to reach the last 16 – Juan Pablo Vojvoda's men have struggled for consistency in the league.
Indeed, Leao do Pici have recorded three wins, one draw and three losses across their last seven Brasileiro clashes, with five victories, five draws and three defeats coming in their 13 league outings this term.
That said, Fortaleza have yet to taste defeat on home soil in the league this year, picking up three wins and three draws while keeping three clean sheets, so they will be determined to preserve their unbeaten record at Estadio Governador Placido Castelo.
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When Agustin Canobbio gave Athletico Paranaense the lead after six minutes against Flamengo, the Curitiba outfit looked destined to enhance their Copa do Brasil prospects, but they ultimately failed to build on their advantage.
In fact, Flamengo dominated the rest of the contest in midweek, racking up 12 shots while enjoying the lion's share of possession, with Athletico managing just two attempts on target throughout the quarter-final first leg.
It is worth noting, however, that Furacao have lost just one of their last four matches in all competitions, with only two defeats coming in their previous nine outings.
Better still, Paulo Turra's men have lost only one of their last five Brasileiro clashes, securing clean-sheet victories over high-flying Botafogo and Corinthians while holding America Mineiro and Palmeiras to draws.
However, there is no hiding the fact that Athletico Paranaense have struggled on the road this season, recording one win, one draw and four losses while conceding two goals on five occasions away from home in the league.
Team News
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Fortaleza are still without long-term injury absentee Pedro Rocha, who has yet to feature in the league this season after sustaining a ruptured knee ligament.
With goalkeeper Fernando Miguel also sidelined through injury, experienced stopper Joao Ricardo will continue between the sticks for the hosts this weekend.
At the opposite end of the pitch, Juan Martin Lucero and Thiago Galhardo are expected to start in attack, with Juan Pablo Vojvoda likely to opt for a 5-3-2 formation.
On the flip side, Athletico Paranaense's injury list contains Marcelo Cirino (knee), Leo Cittadini (hamstring) and Romulo (thigh).
Paulo Turra is expected to stick with his favoured 3-4-3 formation, meaning that Vitor Bueno, Vitor Roque and Agustin Canobbio will continue in the forward line, with ex-Manchester City star Fernandinho anchoring the midfield.
Fortaleza possible starting lineup:
Ricardo; Pikachu, Tinga, Benevenuto, Britez, Pacheco; Alexandre, Welison, Pochettino; Galhardo, Lucero
Athletico Paranaense possible starting lineup:
Bento; Henrique, Heleno, Ivaldo; Madson, Erick, Fernandinho, Esquivel; Canobbio, Roque, Bueno
We say: Fortaleza 1-1 Athletico Paranaense
Given that Fortaleza and Athletico Paranaense are locked on 20 points, we expect Sunday's clash to be a tense and cagey affair, with a low-scoring draw looking like the most probable result.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Ben Morris
