Sports Mole previews Wednesday’s Brasileiro clash between Sao Paulo and Cuiaba, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
Sao Paulo and Cuiaba are separated by nine places in the Brasileiro table heading into Wednesday night’s gameweek 10 match at Estadio Cicero Pompeu de Toledo.
Tricolor Paulista have failed to win in back-to-back games, but they remain undoubted favourites against a side with eight fewer points after nine games.
Match preview
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Sao Paulo could be joint-top with Botafogo in the Brasileiro, but for consecutive draws that leave them four points off the first-placed club.
Luis Zubeldia‘s men had notched three straight wins to place them in a promising situation, but two ties with Internacional (0-0) and Corinthians (2-2) have slowed the club’s momentum in recent rounds.
While Sao Paulo remain undefeated in seven league matches, the fifth-placed side aim to end their two-match winless spell on Wednesday, with success possibly taking Tricolour level on 18 points with either Flamengo or Bahia.
However, that outcome is contingent on the joint-second clubs not playing out a draw in their encounter this week, with both sides facing off on Thursday night.
Avoiding defeat extends Zubeldia’s 13-match unbeaten run in all competitions to 14, and the 43-year-old’s preference will be maximum points.
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It remains to be seen if Cuiaba show the same conviction in the attacking third that was evident in Sunday’s 5-0 hammering of Fortaleza.
While Petit had to wait a month for his first league win since replacing Luiz Fernando Iubel, the Portuguese boss has added the recent 5-0 triumph to the 5-2 victory over newly promoted Criciuma on June 9.
After initial struggles to find the back of the net under the former Portugal international, Dourado have been in top goalscoring over recent weeks, bringing about two victories in three.
Cuiaba have netted 11 times in 270 minutes of league action, an undoubted departure from the side that fired blanks in the first six Brasileiro games this term, underlining their menace against Sao Paulo.
Thus, the away fans will be confident of adding to their increasing tally on Wednesday despite their hosts keeping two clean sheets in the last three top-flight matches.
Sao Paulo Brasileiro form:
Sao Paulo form (all competitions):
Cuiaba Brasileiro form:
Cuiaba form (all competitions):
Team News
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Sao Paulo’s Rafael (Brazil), Nahuel Ferraresi (Venezuela) and James Rodriguez (Colombia) are away on international duty with the 2024 Copa America imminent.
Pablo Maia (thigh) and Rafinha (leg) are not expected to play any part on Wednesday, even if they are nearing returns.
Cuiaba’s Gabriel Knesowitsch is touch-and-go due to illness, while Derik Lacerda‘s knee issue means the forward may not return for another fortnight or longer.
Lucas Fernandes may replace Denilson in midfield after the latter was forced off in the win over Fortaleza.
Isidro Pitta, Clayson (both three goals) and Ramon (two) have played pivotal parts in Petit’s men ending their drought in front of goal, and they hope to be key for the away side against high-flying opponents.
Sao Paulo possible starting lineup:
Jandrei; Vinicius, Arboleda, Costa, Welington; Gustavo, Alisson; Moura, Luciano, Nestor; Calleri
Cuiaba possible starting lineup:
Walter; Alexandre, Alves, Empereur, Ramon; Mineiro, Fernandes; Cafu, Max, Clayson; Pitta
We say: Sao Paulo 1-1 Cuiaba
Four of the six league meetings between Sao Paulo and Cuiaba have ended in stalemates, with both clubs sharing a win apiece. A fifth draw could be on the cards, as Petit’s men carry a different kind of threat having scored 11 times in their last three matches.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.