Athletico PR vs. Ceara (Wednesday, 9.30pm)
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With eight games to go in the 2021 Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A campaign, Athletico Paranaense have a chance to leapfrog above Ceara in the standings when they host the club from Fortaleza on Wednesday at Arena da Baixada.
El Paranaense trail 10th place Vozao by a single point in the table following a 2-0 win over Bragantino this past weekend, while Ceara hung on to an early second-half lead to beat Cuiaba 1-0.
We say: Athletico Paranaense 2-0 Ceara
El Paranaense should be full of confidence, beating Flamengo and Bragantino over the past couple of weeks as they are looking like a much more formidable attacking side, scoring multiple goals in three of their previous four games in all competitions.
Ceara have never won away from home this year, nor have they ever triumphed when visiting the club from Curitiba despite showing some tremendous defensive prowess.
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Santos vs. Bragantino (Wednesday, 10.00pm)
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Santos can put some distance between themselves and relegation when they host Bragantino from Estadio Urbano Caldeira in match number 31 for them in the Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A on Wednesday.
Coming into this midweek encounter, Braga have been shut out in consecutive league fixtures, with defeats to Cuiaba and Athletico Paranaense, while the famous club based in Vila Belmiro are sitting in 16th place, five points above the relegation line.
We say: Santos 0-2 Bragantino
Even though Braga have lost two consecutive games, they are a superior side to Santos, scoring 21 more goals than them to this point of the campaign.
Santos do not have the kind of depth that their opponents possess in the attacking third, and they do not have enough consistency to convince anyone that they can beat a side with the quality of Bragantino.
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Atletico Mineiro vs. Corinthians (Wednesday, 10.00pm)
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Atletico Mineiro can move a step closer to their second Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A title when they host Corinthians on Wednesday at Mineirao.
Galo have scored their last two winning goals in the second half, and they are currently holding a 10-point cushion at the top of the table, while Corinthians are for the moment in a qualifying position for the Copa Libertadores next year, but with an opportunity to potentially move up to fourth place with a win over the league leaders.
We say: Atletico Mineiro 2-1 Corinthians
The last five contests between these sides were decided by a single goal, with Mineiro coming out on top in the previous four, mainly because they have had just a bit more quality in front of goal, and that appears to be the case heading into this matchup on Wednesday.
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Palmeiras vs. Atletico GO (Wednesday, 11.30pm)
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Atletico Goianiense can end a nearly eight-year winless run versus Palmeiras when they face the big Sao Paulo club on Wednesday from Allianz Parque in their 30th match of the Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A campaign.
Dragao are 13th in the table, just a point behind America Mineiro and a spot in the Copa Sudamericana group stage next year, while Palmeiras are currently in second, trailing Atletico Mineiro by 10 points.
We say: Palmeiras 3-1 Atletico Goianiense
Palestra are starting to roll, and given the momentum that they are riding right now, slowing them down will not be easy, as they have scored multiple goals in three consecutive affairs.
Goianiense are not bad defensively, but their players in the middle of the field do not read the game quickly enough, so we expect Palmeiras to be able to win those battles in between the lines from defence to attack quite comfortably and at some point, you would think that they will score.
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Fortaleza vs. Sao Paulo (Thursday, 12.30am)
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Fortaleza will look to bounce back from consecutive defeats and return to the top four of the Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A table on Thursday, when they play host to Sao Paulo.
Juan Pablo Vojvoda's side fell short against Corinthians on Saturday to remain in fifth spot, while the visitors were handed a narrow defeat of their own last time out at the hands of Bahia.
We say: Fortaleza 1-1 Sao Paulo
With both sides desperate to bounce back to get closer to their respective aims, this is bound to be a cagey affair, and we see them cancelling one another out on Thursday.
While the hosts have enjoyed the better season, Sao Paulo also boast plenty of quality in their ranks, and we see them leaving the Castelao with a creditable point.
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Sport vs. America Mineiro (Thursday, 12.30am)
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Sport Recife will look to improve their standing at the bottom end of the Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A table on Thursday, when they take on America Mineiro on home turf.
The hosts currently sit in 17th spot, five points adrift of safety with seven games to play, while their opponents are eight points better off in 12th place.
We say: Sport Recife 0-1 America Mineiro
With the hosts' improved defensive stability and struggles in front of goal, we see this being another low-scoring encounter and expect them to fall just short.
While they have shown positive signs in the last two outings, they meet an America Mineiro side on the up, and the visitors will be keen to strengthen their bid for continental football with an away win.
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Juventude vs. Internacional (Thursday, 12.30am)
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Juventude will look to end a seven-game winless run in their bid to avoid relegation to the Brazilian second tier on Thursday, when they welcome Internacional to the Estadio Alfredo Jaconi.
While the hosts find themselves five points adrift of safety, their visitors sit in seventh spot, just five points off the top four in the Campeonato Brasileiro table.
We say: Juventude 0-1 Internacional
Juventude have certainly shown a resilient side to their game in recent weeks, and this could well be settled by one goal, but we see them falling just short on Thursday.
Internacional boast plenty of quality, and, refreshed from an important win last time out, they should have enough to get over the line and boost their bid for a top-four spot.
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Barney Corkhill
