Fortaleza will host relegation-battling Vitoria at the Estadio Governador Placido Aderaldo Castelo on Thursday as they look to push into the top six in the Brasileiro.
The hosts come into this match having won four out of their last five games, while the visitors have climbed out of the relegation zone following a significantly improved run of form in recent weeks.
Match preview
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The hosts suffered a difficult start to their campaign that saw Juan Vojvoda's side manage just two victories from their opening eight fixtures, leaving them 12th in the division with 10 points.
Their turnaround began with a 1-0 win over Gremio in their ninth match, leading to an impressive run of five wins and one draw in their last seven outings.
Those results have left them firmly in the race for the Copa Libertadores qualification places as they now find themselves just a point behind sixth-placed Sao Paulo having played at least a game fewer than those above them.
Vojvoda will be aiming to extend his team's winning streak to three matches, a feat they have not accomplished in the Brasileiro since December 2023, as he seeks to guide Fortaleza to only their second appearance in the Copa Libertadores, having first featured in 2022 thanks to a fourth-placed finish in 2021.
The hosts will be confident of securing a result in this game, having yet to lose at home in the league this campaign, while they have also defeated Vitoria in three of the last five meetings.
As for the visitors, they hold a narrow three-point lead over the relegation places heading into this one, although 18th-placed Gremio have the opportunity to surpass them with two games in hand.
After being promoted from the second division as champions last season, Thiago Carpini would have been disappointed with how his side began their first campaign back in the top flight since 2018.
Vitoria failed to win any of their first eight fixtures, losing five and drawing three, leaving them rock bottom of the Brasileiro table with just three points.
They secured their first three points of the campaign with a 2-1 victory over Internacional, and Vitoria now enter this match with four wins from their last eight games, a run that has lifted them out of the drop zone.
Despite their recent loss, Carpini can draw encouragement from their narrow 1-0 defeat against league leaders Botafogo, a performance that should significantly bolster the team's self-belief as they prepare for this one.
Team News
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The hosts are carrying a number of injuries into this game that could leave Vojvoda unable to call upon the services of up to five of his squad.
Felipe Jonatan is a doubt after the defender was forced off with an injury in the 76th minute of their victory against Flamengo last week, leaving Bruno Pacheco likely to take his place.
Calebe, Jose Welison, Leandro Martinez and Pedro Rocha are all also not expected to feature due to injuries, but they could make their return to the squad in the coming weeks.
As for Vitoria, Carpini will be without the services of Camutanga for the remainder of the season after the defender suffered a severe knee injury late last month.
Caio Vinicius, Iury Castilho and Rodrigo Andrade are also set to continue their spells on the sidelines but all three are expected to make their return later this month.
Fortaleza possible starting lineup:
Ricardo; Tinga, Britez, Cardona, Pacheco; Hercules, Augusto; Pikachu, Pochettino, Lopes; Lucero
Vitoria possible starting lineup:
Arcanjo; Caceres, Lepo, Leonardo, Calmon; Santos; Matheuzinho, Oliveira, Naldi, Esteves; Alerrandro
We say: Fortaleza 2-1 Vitoria
Despite Vitoria's vast improvement over the past weeks, Fortaleza are coming into this game enjoying a fantastic run of five wins from their last seven games and are yet to be defeated at home in the league, leading us to believe the hosts will win this one.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Ellis Stevens
