Preview: Bragantino vs Vitoria - prediction, team news, lineups

RB Bragantino and Vitoria will face off on Sunday afternoon at the Estadio Cicero de Souza Marques in Braganca Paulista, Sao Paulo, in the 16th round of the Campeonato Brasileiro, with just one point separating the two sides in the table despite their contrasting runs of form heading into the encounter.

Bragantino come into the match desperate to halt a poor streak of results, while Vitoria arrive full of confidence after securing a historic cup triumph in midweek, setting the stage for an intriguing contest in the interior of Sao Paulo as attention turns to the key team news, predictions and talking points ahead of the clash.

Match preview

RB Bragantino have endured a difficult week, beginning with Tuesday’s 2-1 defeat to Mirassol at the Estadio Jose Maria de Campos Maia, which sealed their elimination from the Copa do Brasil by a 3-2 aggregate score after the sides had drawn 1-1 in the first leg, while the previous Saturday’s 2-0 loss to Santos at the Vila Belmiro had already damaged their hopes of closing the gap on the top six.

Bragantino currently sit seventh in the Brasileirao standings with 20 points, four adrift of the top four, having recorded six wins, two draws and seven defeats from 15 matches, a return considered underwhelming given the club’s financial backing, with alarm bells now ringing after three defeats in their last five matches across all competitions and only the Brasileirao and Copa Sudamericana left to contest this season.

The defeat to Mirassol, who are 18th in the table with just 13 points, has reignited criticism surrounding the club’s inability to overcome Serie A opponents in knockout competitions since Red Bull’s takeover in 2019, with more than a dozen attempts across the Paulistao, Copa do Brasil and South American tournaments all ending in disappointment.

The Massa Bruta will nevertheless take confidence from playing at home and from a favourable head-to-head record against Vitoria, having won eight of the last 15 meetings compared to the visitors’ six victories, though converting that statistical advantage into a positive result on the pitch will be crucial as they seek to halt their recent decline.

© Iconsport / SUSA

Vitoria, by contrast, travel to Braganca Paulista in buoyant spirits after eliminating Flamengo from the Copa do Brasil on Thursday with a 2-0 victory at the Barradao, overturning a 2-1 first-leg deficit from the Maracana to progress 3-2 on aggregate in front of a packed home crowd just one day after the club celebrated its 127th anniversary.

The triumph over the reigning Brazilian and Copa Libertadores champions was thoroughly deserved, as Vitoria took the lead through Erick’s long-range strike in the seventh minute before capitalising on a goalkeeping error in the second half to double their advantage and end Flamengo’s ten-match unbeaten run in the process.

In the Brasileirao, Vitoria occupy 10th place with 19 points, just one behind Sunday’s opponents, and head into the contest unbeaten in five matches across all competitions after drawing 2-2 with Fluminense at the Maracana in their last Serie A outing, a match in which Jair Ventura’s side had led before conceding a stoppage-time equaliser.

The challenge for Vitoria will now be reproducing their impressive Barradao form away from home and without the backing of their supporters against a Bragantino side that has historically enjoyed success in this fixture, although the Leao remain confident of causing another upset despite a demanding schedule that also includes the Copa do Nordeste semi-finals on May 20 and May 27.

Bragantino Brasileiro form:

Bragantino form (all competitions):

Vitoria Brasileiro form:

Vitoria form (all competitions):

Team News

© Iconsport / SUSA

Bragantino have no suspended players for this round and reported no new injury concerns during the week, although Davi Gomes, Fabricio and Guzman Rodriguez all remain sidelined through injury.

The Massa Bruta will once again look to Isidro Pitta for inspiration in attack, with the Paraguayan striker leading the club’s scoring charts this season on seven goals in all competitions, including five in the Brasileirao, as he aims to end a run of two consecutive matches without scoring while continuing to push for a place in Paraguay’s World Cup squad.

Vitoria, meanwhile, have several selection issues to contend with as Ramon and Renato Kayzer are suspended due to yellow card accumulation, while Nathan Mendes and Luan Candido are both unavailable against their parent club Bragantino, with the latter having scored the decisive goal in the cup victory over Flamengo.

The visitors are also dealing with an extensive injury list, with Camutanga, Dudu, Matheuzinho, Riccieli, Edu Ribeiro and Pedro Henrique all currently receiving treatment.

Bragantino possible starting lineup:

Volpi; Hurtado, Vinicius, Marques, Capixaba; Gabriel, Sosa; Herrera, Lucas Barbosa, Mosquera; Pitta

Vitoria possible starting lineup:

Arcanjo; Mendes, Caca, Renzo, Jamerson; Baralhas, Caique; Erick, Martinez, Matheuzinho; Rene

We say: Bragantino 1-1 Vitoria

Bragantino head into the match wounded by consecutive defeats and their Copa do Brasil elimination, but home advantage and a record of six wins from their last 10 home games could help them steady themselves and avoid a third straight defeat in front of their own supporters.

Vitoria, meanwhile, arrive full of confidence after their memorable victory over Flamengo, although the short recovery period following that emotionally draining encounter, combined with their unfavourable recent record against the Massa Bruta, could limit their momentum in what promises to be a tightly contested match where even a draw would represent a valuable result for the visitors.

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