Gremio will go in search of their first win of the Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A season on Saturday, when they play host to Internacional.
With just two points from their opening eight games of the campaign, the hosts sit at the foot of the table, while their opponents occupy 14th spot having failed to win any of their last four games.
Match preview
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Gremio come into Saturday's game still looking for their first league win of the season, having failed to pick up a victory from their opening eight matches.
That includes three consecutive defeats from their last three outings, starting with a 2-0 loss at the hands of Juventude as Paulinho and Matheus Peixoto got on the scoresheet.
They then fell to a 1-0 defeat at home to Atletico Goianiense with the disappointing run triggering the dismissal of manager Tiago Nunes, who failed to replicate his efforts from last season when Gremio finished sixth in the Brazilian top flight thanks to a strong end to the season.
Their losing run was again extended last time out, as they fell to a 2-0 defeat at the hands of new league leaders Palmeiras.
The Imortal Tricolor were always fighting from behind after Raphael Veiga opened the scoring inside the first 15 seconds, and a Gabriel Menino goal in the 17th minute saw Gremio limp to another defeat with little to offer.
Now under the charge of former Brazil manager Luiz Felipe Scolari, who kicks off his fourth spell in the Gremio hot seat, they will quickly look to record their first victory of the season and reverse their fortunes to climb up the table.
They take on another side who are desperately searching for a win, following Internacional's quick drop down the Brazilian top flight.
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Internacional had a somewhat disappointing start to the season, collecting just five points from their opening five games, while former manager Miguel Angel Ramirez was dismissed just two league games into the season following a Copa do Brasil defeat to second-tier Vitoria.
However, the appointment of Diego Aguirre in June looked to breathe new life into the side, as they quickly recorded a crucial 2-1 win over fellow strugglers Chapecoense.
The Clube do Povo took a two-goal lead in the first half through Caio Vidal and Yuri Alberto, and Derlan's 55th-minute goal for their opponents was not enough to salvage a result.
They have not been able to build on that win though, collecting just two points from their last four games, starting with a 1-1 draw against America Mineiro.
Aguirre's side then fell to a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Palmeiras, with the league leaders only snatching all three points thanks to a Danilo winner in the 89th minute, and another underwhelming 1-1 draw followed when they took on Corinthians.
Last time out, Internacional were comfortably defeated 2-0 by Sao Paulo, as Emiliano Rigoni opened the scoring in the second minute before Igor Gomes netted their second in the 54th minute.
Having now dropped to within three points of the bottom four, Aguirre's side will look to take advantage of their opponents' poor form and record a much-needed win on Saturday.
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Team News
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Gremio are expected to remain without a number of key players for Saturday's game, with Maicon, Elias Manoel and Leo Gomes all continuing spells on the sidelines.
Ricardinho will hope for a starting spot after striker Diego Souza's goal drought was again stretched last time out, while they have now failed to find the net in four full league games with Souza leading the line.
Despite seeing his form dip rapidly, winger Douglas Costa, who recently joined on loan from Juventus, does possess the ability to cause problems in the wide areas, and will be a key part of the attacking line on Saturday.
Internacional have also been hit by several injuries, with defenders Ze Gabriel, Rodrigo Moledo and Moises all expected to miss out.
Further forward, Peruvian striker Paolo Guerrero and exciting winger Taison are also doubts, having both been absent from the squad for the recent defeat to Sao Paulo.
Yuri Alberto will continue to lead the line in Guerrero's absence, despite hitting just one league goal so far this campaign.
Gremio possible starting lineup:
Brenno; Rafinha, Kannemann, Geromel, Goiano; Henrique, Bobsin; Vanderson, Ferreira, Costa; Ricardinho
Internacional possible starting lineup:
Brito; Mendez, Ribeiro, Henrique, Victor; Cardoso, Dourado, Mauricio; Vidal, Alberto, Patrick
We say: Gremio 1-0 Internacional
With both sides coming into the game in poor form and with weakened squads, this could go either way, but we give a narrow edge to hosts as they continue their search for a league win.
Saturday is one of their best opportunities to collect three points, and the introduction of such an experienced manager should inspire them to a victory, just as a new leader so often brings about an upturn in results.
Top tip
Sam Varley
Data Analysis
Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a Gremio win with a probability of 40.48%. A win for Internacional had a probability of 32.5% and a draw had a probability of 27%.
The most likely scoreline for a Gremio win was 1-0 with a probability of 11.09%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 2-1 (8.48%) and 2-0 (7.34%). The likeliest Internacional win was 0-1 (9.7%), while for a drawn scoreline it was 1-1 (12.82%). The actual scoreline of 0-0 was predicted with an 8.4% likelihood.
