Gunning for their sixth Copa do Brasil crown, Brasileiro strugglers Gremio will welcome second-tier Operario Ferroviario to Estadio Francisco Stedile on Sunday afternoon for the second leg of their third-round tie.
The clash is finely poised following a goalless first meeting at the home of the underdogs, who will be looking to cause a major upset in Rio Grande do Sul this weekend.
Match preview
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Following a thrilling title race with Palmeiras in the 2023 term and a second-placed finish, Gremio have been brought down to earth quickly during the 2024 schedule, with Sunday's hosts staring a relegation battle in the face due to a woeful run of form in recent months.
The Immortal Tricolor have now won only one of their last 10 fixtures across the Brasileiro and Copa Libertadores after a worrying defeat at home to title-chasing Cruzeiro on Wednesday night, when early goals from Ramiro and Arthur were enough to determine the destination of the points.
Heading into a welcome break in the form of a Copa do Brasil second leg, Renato Gaucho's troops are currently occupying 18th in the top-flight standings, three points behind Cuiaba in the relative safety of 16th, meaning that relegation to Serie B is not out of the question.
Gremio will be delighted to be playing at their Arena de Gremio base on Saturday, with all three of their Brasileiro successes to date in 2024 arriving in front of their own supporters, with the Immortal Tricolor failing to win any of their six league away matches so far.
Netting 10 times across all competitions during this calendar year, 27-year-old striker Franco Cristaldo is moving towards his best-ever season in terms of goalscoring, with the former Boca Juniors man firing in 17 goals for Huracan of Argentina during the 2022 campaign.
Welcoming top-tier opposition to Estadio Germano Kruger on May 1, Operario Ferroviario did considerably well to escape unscathed from the contest and keep the scores level heading into this weekend's second leg, with both Rafael Santos and Caique recording clean sheets in a goalless draw.
Since their meeting with the Immortal Tricolor over two months ago, the Black and Whites have endured streaks of differing form in Serie B, with a four-game run of 1-0 victories in June being followed up most recently by a three-match spell without success, including a defeat at title contenders America MG last weekend.
After faring extremely well to keep the hosts at bay during the first half, Operario Ferroviario were unable to hold on for a share of the second-tier points in the final 45 minutes, with a strike from Adyson Soares and an own goal from centre-back Willian Machado condemning the visitors to defeat.
Portraying the tight nature of proceedings in Serie B, Rafael Guanaes's troops are just three points off the summit of the standings despite currently sitting in eighth, meaning that Gremio should be wary of the danger that their visitors can pose on Sunday afternoon.
Scoring nine and conceding nine in 14 league matches to date in 2024, Operario simultaneously possess the weakest attack and strongest backline in the second tier, with their defensive solidity set to be very useful this weekend as they aim to stay in the contest as long as possible to frustrate the Gremio support.
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Team News
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Gremio are without the services of striker Andre, with the 22-year-old yet to feature in the Brasileiro this year because of an ankle injury.
The Immortal Tricolor's options at the top end of the pitch are further reduced by the absence of former Chelsea star Diego Costa, who is fighting back from a muscular issue.
Saturday's hosts are set to miss the presence of Felipe Carballo in their engine room, with the 27-year-old picking up a muscle injury following the draw with Palmeiras.
After keeping their Brasileiro opponents at bay during the first leg, Operario Ferroviario should stick with a centre-back pairing of Alemao and 27-year-old Machado.
There could be some alterations to the Black and Whites' forward line for this one, though, with the likes of Guilherme Pira and Emaxwell pushing for starting berths.
Gremio possible starting lineup:
Marchesin; Pedro, Martins, Kannemann, Reinaldo; Dodi, Villasanti, Pepe, Queiroz, Gomes; Everton
Operario Ferroviario possible starting lineup:
Santos; Savio, Alemao, Machado, Para; Jacy, Indio, Lucas; Farofa, Augusto, Pira
We say: Gremio 1-0 Operario Ferroviario (Gremio win 1-0 on aggregate)
Despite their struggles this season, Gremio still possess plenty of quality in their ranks and should be good enough to beat second-tier opposition this weekend.
Operario Ferroviario will look to stay in the contest as long as possible, but we feel that they will come up fractionally short on Sunday.
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Carter White
