Sports Mole previews Sunday’s Brasileiro clash between Atletico Mineiro and Corinthians, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
Atletico Mineiro will be seeking to pick up consecutive league victories when they welcome Corinthians to the MRV Arena on Sunday.
Corinthians, meanwhile, make the journey this weekend unbeaten in three matches, although they did have to settle for a share of the spoils last time out.
Match preview
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Atletico Mineiro cruised to a routine 2-0 triumph at the expense of Vasco da Gama in Sunday’s meeting between the teams.
A first-half double from Hulk got the job done for Gabriel Milito‘s men in a largely one-sided affair in Belo Horizonte.
Consequently, O Galo have moved up into the top half of the Brasileiro table and currently occupy 10th place.
Next up is the challenge of an opposing outfit with little to choose from over the previous eight meetings which have yielded three wins apiece and two draws.
Having won both of their last two home matches off the back of five games without a victory prior to that, Sunday’s hosts have turned a corner in front of their fans.
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Corinthians were denied a third straight victory following a 2-2 stalemate against Gremio at the Neo Quimica Arena on Friday.
Ramon Diaz‘s men went 1-0 and 2-1 down to strikes from Rodrigo Ely and Mathias Villasanti but managed to restore parity on either occasion through Yuri Alberto and Rodrigo Garro.
With 19 points picked up from as many matches so far, O Todo Poderoso sit 14th in the standings, two points adrift of continental qualification.
Fresh from recently ending a seven-game winless run on the road, Sunday’s visitors now go in search of back to back away wins for the first time since early May.
Atletico Mineiro Brasileiro form:
Corinthians Brasileiro form:
Team News
Brazilian duo Alisson and Everson are ruled out for Atletico Mineiro this weekend through ankle and finger injuries respectively
The home side will also be without the services of midfielder Matias Zaracho who is set to sit out a seventh straight game with a groin problem.
Following his double last time out, Hulk has now scored four times in his last five matches, making him one to keep an eye on here.
Corinthians’ Ruan Oliveira and Maycon are not expected to play any part in this one as they remain sidelined with long-term injuries.
Ecuador international Diego Palacios is yet to fully recuperate from a knee problem he suffered earlier in the campaign and also misses out for the visitors.
Atletico Mineiro possible starting lineup:
Mendes; Battaglia, Fuchs, Alonso; Vera, Otavio, Franco, Bernard, Scarpa; Hulk, Paulinho
Corinthians possible starting lineup:
Souza; Torres, Ramalho, Junior; Franca, Raniele, Ryan, Garro, Hugo; Alberto, Romero
We say: Atletico Mineiro 2-1 Corinthians
Both teams have fared similarly at the defensive end of the pitch but Atletico Mineiro have had the upper hand going forward and we fancy them to come out on top in what should be a keenly-contested affair.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.