Early Serie A leaders Corinthians will continue their search for the league championship when they welcome relegation-threatened Juventude.
Sitting inside the bottom four, Juventude have endured a torrid start to the campaign, with a result against Corinthians this weekend a target for O Azul.
Match preview
© Reuters
Unbeaten in eight of their opening 10 matches of the campaign, Corinthians have established themselves as the side to beat in Brazil's Serie A.
Already boasting a two-point advantage over second-placed Athletico Paranaense, Corinthians' return of 18 points from a possible 30 is enough to see them lead the way.
Not imperious by any means, Corinthians did slump to their second defeat of the season last time out, when they lost to a Cuiaba side fighting for points at the bottom of the table.
A return to familiar surroundings at home will be welcomed by Corinthians, who are unbeaten at the Neo Quimica Arena, yet they are without a win in their previous two runouts there.
By contrast, Juventude have not been able to enjoy a similarly impressive start, instead the side from Rio Grande do Sul sit inside the relegation zone after the first 10 rounds of fixtures.
Inconsistency has plagued Juventude so far, as a tally of two wins from their opening 10 games, has been matched by four draws and four defeats.
Granted, road trips have offered a welcome refuge from otherwise difficult results this season, with Juventude unbeaten in their last three away games.
That run included a much-needed win over Avai three weeks ago – a result that remains their only victory on the road this season.
Expected to be brushed aside this weekend, Juventude will be looking for a shock repeat of the result the last time that the two met in December, where O Azul triumphed over Corinthians with a 1-0 victory.
It marked Juventude's first victory over Corinthians since August 2005, with the league leaders no doubt desperate to avoid consecutive defeats to Saturday's opponents.
- W
- D
- D
- D
- W
- L
- D
- D
- D
- D
- W
- L
- D
- W
- L
- D
- W
- L
- L
- W
- L
- D
- W
- L
Team News
© Reuters
Corinthians' spot on the top of the table is impressive enough, not least because of the number of injuries that they are currently nursing.
Luan, Joao Victor, Willian and Maycon are all absent for this weekend's fixture, but are expected to return before the end of the month.
The same cannot be said about Paulinho, whose recovery from an anterior cruciate ligament injury is expected to keep him out until the end of the season.
There are also extended stints on the sidelines for both Ruan Oliveira and Fagner, as Corinthians look to mount a title charge with a lengthy list of injuries.
While nowhere near as hefty, Juventude are also without a number of players, with both Rodrigo Soares and William Matheus sitting the game out with suspension.
Elton will also be missing with a knee injury, whereas Kelvi is missing for Juventude until early October.
Corinthians possible starting lineup:
Cassio; Melo, Bambu, Gil, Gustavo; Queiroz, Cantillo; Adson, Silva, Mantuan; Guedes
Juventude possible starting lineup:
Cesar; Paulo, Mendes, Forster, Rodrigues; Jadson, Jean, Yuri, Kim; Pitta, Vitor Gabriel
We say: Corinthians 3-0 Juventude
While not without faults this season, Corinthians have enjoyed the best start of any Serie A side in Brazil.
Expect Corinthians to bounce back from recent defeat with a comfortable home victory over Juventude this weekend.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Amos Murphy
