Cuiaba will be looking to lift themselves out of the Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A relegation zone when they make a trip to Estadio Ressacada to take on Avai on Sunday.
The visitors trail Avai by five points in the league standings, and they arrive in Santa Catarina having only claimed two points from their last four matches.
Avai will be in bouyant mood as they await their struggling opponents, having taken a point off first-placed Palmeiras last Saturday.
The promoted club have adapted to life in the Brazilian top flight admirably this season, with a 1-0 win away at Botafogo and a 3-2 victory over Fortaleza being among last month’s highlights.
However, Eduardo Barroca’s side find themselves still just three points above the bottom four, in a compressed mid-section of the table.
In their first first Serie A season since 2019, they have won four of their seven home matches to date, so they will certainly fancy their chances of taking maximum points on Sunday.
Meanwhile, after suffering a defeat in their most recent fixture against Goias last week, Cuiaba remain stuck in the league relegation zone.
Following their 1-0 defeat at Estadio da Serrinha, they have failed to score in over 300 minutes of football, and they have still recorded just three league wins so far this season.
Antonio Olivera has seen his side drop out of the Copa Sudamericana at the group stage and suffer an early exit from the Copa do Brasil, so pressure is starting to build on his shoulders.
Cuiaba’s latest setback was not only a further blow to morale, but it also represented their fifth consecutive away defeat in Serie A, which does not augur well for the weekend’s visit to Ressacada, especially as they face an opposing side who have lost just one of their last four matches.
Avai vs Cuiaba head to head
The two teams have previously met on just two occasions in the Brasileiro Serie B in 2020, where Cuiaba have claimed two victories in those encounters. Cuiaba have scored four goals and conceded once in the process. They now meet for the first time in the Brasileiro Serie A.
Avai 0-2 Cuiaba 22/08/20
Cuiaba 2-1 Avai 28/11/20
Avai latest home form
Avai have recently been on a relatively good run of form at home, as they have lost just one of their eight most recent matches. They drew 2-2 with Palmeiras in their last home game in the league. In their last five matches, they have scored nine goals and conceded eight.
Avai 2-1 Coritiba 10/05/22
Avai 1-2 Juventude 16/05/22
Avai 1-1 Sao Paulo 05/06/22
Avai 3-2 Fortaleza 17/06/22
Avai 2-2 Palmeiras 26/06/22
Avai latest away form
Avai have recently failed to keep a good run of form on the road, having won just one of their five most recent matches. They lost 2-0 to Fluminense in their last away game in the league. In their last five matches, they have scored four goals and conceded eight.
Athletico Paranaense 2-1 Avai 23/05/22
Atletico Mineiro 2-1 Avai 30/05/22
Atletico Goianiense 2-1 Avai 09/06/22
Botafogo 0-1 Avai 14/06/22
Fluminense 2-0 Avai 20/06/22
Cuiaba latest home form
Cuiaba have recently been on a relatively good run of form at home, as they have lost just one of their five most recent matches. They drew 0-0 with Ceara in their last home game in the league. In their last five matches, they have scored three goals and conceded three.
Cuiaba 1-1 Internacional 22/05/22
Cuiaba 0-1 Athletico Paranaense 30/05/22
Cuiaba 1-0 Corinthians 08/06/22
Cuiaba 1-1 RB Bragantino 12/06/22
Cuiaba 0-0 Ceara 19/06/22
Cuiaba latest away form
Cuiaba have recently failed to keep a good run of form on the road, having lost each of their four most recent matches. They lost 1-0 to Goias in their last away game in the league. In their last five matches, they have scored just four goals and conceded nine.
River Plate 1-2 Cuiaba 19/05/22
Melgar 3-1 Cuiaba 27/05/22
America Mineiro 2-1 Cuiaba 04/06/22
Flamengo 2-0 Cuiaba 16/06/22
Goias 1-0 Cuiaba 27/06/22
Avai news
Eduardo Barroca will miss the services of William Pottker this weekend, after he received a third yellow card of the season against Palmeiras, earning him a one-game suspension.
Goalkeeper Douglas Friedrich will be back in action, following his recovery from a knee injury, while Morato is likely to deputise for Pottker.
Cuiaba news
Antonio Olivera will not be able to count on Pepe due to his head injury, with Andre Felipe also set to miss out with a thigh injury.
Alan Empereur is suspended after his late dismissal against Goias, but midfielder Kelvin Osorio should stand in for Pepe again, while Joaquim Henrique could replace Empereur.
Prediction and Odds
Cuiaba head into the contest off the back of a four-game winless streak and will be looking for a victory this weekend to get back to winning ways.
Avai have one of the division’s worst defensive records this season, which could provide the visitors with a good chance of claimingat least a point.
Odds: 1 2.30 X 2.05 2 2.20
Probable outcomes
Avai 0-0 Cuiaba
Avai 1-1 Cuiaba
Avai 2-2 Cuiaba
Avai 0-1 Cuiaba
Avai 1-2 Cuiaba
