Arguably the pick of the gameweek 19 fixtures in Brasileiro will come from MorumBIS, where Sao Paulo will lock horns with Botafogo on Wednesday night.
Both sides have enjoyed an impressive first half of the campaign, with the hosts now in fifth place while the visitors are the side to beat, currently leading the league standings.
Match preview
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After finishing in 11th place in the final league standings last season with 53 points, Sao Paulo have made significant strides forward this term, already on 31 points after 18 games and trailing fourth-placed Fortaleza by a single point.
Tricolor Paulista followed up a home win over Gremio last week with a goalless draw against Juventude on the road this past weekend. They have now lost only one of their last seven matches in Brasileiro while winning five and drawing one of the remaining six.
The big news for the side in the last week was their agreement to terminate the contract of Copa America runner-up and Player of the Tournament James Rodriguez, who is understood to be looking to return to La Liga, with reports suggesting that Atletico Madrid and Villareal are interested in signing him.
In fairness, though, Luis Zubeldia's side have fared well over the last month and a bit without their Colombian playmaker, who has scored two goals and provided four assists in his last 22 appearances.
At MorumBIS this season, Sao Paulo have an above-average record of 19 points earned from a possible 27 and are now gunning for a fifth consecutive win on their home patch dating back to a 1-0 defeat to Cuiaba in mid-June.
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Meanwhile, Botafogo's rise to the top over the last two seasons has been nothing short of remarkable, considering they only earned promotion back to the top flight in 2022.
In their first season back in Serie A, Fogo secured 11th place and followed up with a top-five finish last term. This year, they are already on 39 points after 18 games, three points clear of defending champions Palmeiras in second.
Under the guidance of former Braga manager Artur Jorge, Rio's Black and White have managed a league record of 12 wins, three draws and just three losses to date, while they also secured their place in the round of 16 of the Copa Libertadores which gets underway next month.
On the road this season, the visitors currently possess the best record in the division with 17 points taken from a possible 27, and they are also unbeaten in their last three games, including a draw and back-to-back victories heading into this match.
Botafogo have been the dominant side in this fixture over the last few years. In the last five meetings, they have won four and drawn just one - an unbeaten run that extends all the way back to December 2020.
Team News
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As mentioned, Sao Paulo will be without the services of Rodriguez, who has not returned to the club since the Copa America, but they will be able to welcome Igor Vinicius, Wellington and Alan Franco back from suspension for this match.
Alisson has now been ruled out for at least two months after sustaining a broken ankle last week, and he is joined on the treatment table by Pablo Maia, while Jonathan Calleri is flagged as a doubt.
Botafogo will be without goalkeeper Gatito Fernandez and midfielder Thiago Almada, who have been called up to represent Paraguay and Argentina respectively at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
The visitors also have several injury absentees to contend with, including Junior Santos (ankle), Carlos Eduardo (thigh), Jeffinho (knee), Pablo (thigh), Rafael da Silva (knee) and Matheus Nascimento (hamstring).
Sao Paulo possible starting lineup:
Rafael, Vinicius, Arboleda, Franco, Wellington; Gustavo, Bobadilla; Ferreira, Luciano, Moura; Silva
Botafogo possible starting lineup:
John; Suarez, Bastos, A Barboza, Cuiabano; Henrique, Tche, D Barboza, Savarino; Soares, Jesus
We say: Sao Paulo 1-1 Botafogo
While Sao Paulo have been very good on their home patch this term, it is difficult to back against Botafogo given their record this season. There is very little to choose in this one and we feel these two will share the spoils at the final whistle.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Devesh Jaganath
