Preview:Atletico Mineiro vs Cruzeiro - prediction, team news, lineups

One of the fiercest rivalries in South American football is set to reignite as Atletico Mineiro prepare to host Cruzeiro in a tasty Serie A fixture on Wednesday.

The People’s Club are on the hunt for a fourth victory in six games, while Raposa will be looking to shake off a three-match winless run in the league – one which has seen them lose ground in the title race.

Match preview

It has been a wild year for Atletico Mineiro so far, with the team enjoying the heights of a 50th Campeonato Mineiro title and the lows of a six-match Serie A winless run over the summer.

Galo currently find themselves in a lowly 14th position, with new manager Jorge Sampaoli slowly finding his feet after replacing Cuca at the start of September.

Consistency has been a prevalent issue for Atletico during their Serie A campaign, with the club winning eight and losing 10 of their 26 games this season – a record which leaves them a massive 11 points adrift of the top six.

Things have improved in recent weeks, with the club picking up three wins from their last five games – including a quarter-final victory over Bolivar in the Copa Sudamericana.

With a semi-final clash over Independiente del Valle on the horizon, Atletico will be hoping to build some much-needed momentum with a big derby victory.

When it comes to Cruzeiro, their focus is on the title race as they target their first Serie A crown since 2014.

Raposa head into the Classico Mineiro placed third in the standings, trailing league leaders Palmeiras by six points – a gap which has been growing in recent weeks.

Leonardo Jardim and his men enjoyed an impressive six-match winning run across all competitions, though they have since hit a road bump and are currently winless in their last three.

A defeat away at Vasco was followed up with draws against Flamengo and Sport Recife, which has caused Cruzeiro to fall back in the title race – something they will be looking to change when they take on their local rivals.

Cruzeiro have won their last two derby games against Atletico Mineiro - both by a 2-0 scoreline - and they will be looking to make it a hat-trick this Thursday.

Atletico Mineiro Brasileiro form:

D L W D L W

Atletico Mineiro form (all competitions):

L W W D L W

Cruzeiro Brasileiro form:

W W W L D D

Cruzeiro form (all competitions):

W W W L D D

Team News

Atletico Mineiro midfielder Alexsander has only managed to make six Serie A appearances this season since joining the club from Al-Ahli, and he will remain on the sidelines this Thursday as he continues to recover from his knee injury.

Cuello has missed the last six matches with an ankle injury and is expected to remain on the sidelines, alongside fellow forward Junior Santos, who is nursing a hip problem.

Striker Rony, who has three goal contributions from his last four games, is expected to lead the attack, while veteran Hulk will be looking to make an impact off the bench.

Cruzeiro, meanwhile, head into the derby without defender Fagner, who faces a long spell on the sidelines with a broken leg.

Experienced forward Wanderson is a doubt for the match, with the 31-year-old carrying a back injury.

Gabriel Barbosa is expected to lead the attack as he looks to score his third goal in five games.

Atletico Mineiro possible starting lineup:

Everson; Guilherme Arana, Vitor Hugo, Lyanco, Renzo Saravia; Bernard, Gustavo Scarpa, Igor Gomes, Fausto Vera; Rony, Dudu

Cruzeiro possible starting lineup:

Cassio; Kaiki, Villalba, Jonathan Jesus, Kaua Moraes; Matheus Pereira, Eduardo, Matheus Henrique, Lucas Silva; Gabriel Barbosa, Arroyo

We say: Atletico Mineiro 1-1 Cruzeiro

Cruzeiro have won their last two meetings with Atletico Mineiro, though getting a third straight victory under their belts will not be an easy task considering their recent slide in form.

Atletico, meanwhile, have picked up some impressive results in recent weeks, and we are backing them to come away with at least a point.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.