Coritiba and Cuiaba will play each other for the first time in the Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A this weekend, with both sides narrowly above the relegation zone with kickoff at 2 am.
Coritiba is just a point above the relegation zone and has not done any favours this month, winning only one of their four games. They have found themselves behind in each of their previous three league encounters heading into the interval and have only tallied once in the first half since June.
Gustavo Morinigo has not been able to solve their defensive issues this season, with his team conceding the second-most goals (30) in the Brazilian top-flight. If only they could always play their matches at Estadio Couto Pereira, they could be much higher in the table as 17 of their 19 points have come home.
Defending with greater resilience and commitment to remaining solid in their backline has enabled Cuiaba to escape from relegation trouble in their second top-flight campaign.
Despite being the inferior unit on paper against the 2021 Brasileiro champions earlier this week, Antonio Oliveira’s men kept plugging away and eventually found an equalizing goal in stoppage time. They have points in three of their four games played under Oliveira, and they are tied for the fourth-fewest goals conceded in the league this season (19).
Coritiba vs Cuiaba Head to Head
Both sides have two games against each other with hosts taking one win and one draw. Here is a look at their previous encounters:
Home
- Corinthians 3-1 Coritiba
- Flamengo 2-0 Coritiba
- Coritiba 2-2 Juventude
- Coritiba 2-1 Fortaleza
Away
- Cuiaba 1-1 Atletico Mineiro
- Palmeiras 1-0 Cuiaba
- Cuiaba 2-0 Botafogo
- Avai 1-2 Cuiaba
Coritiba Team News
Coritiba’s top scorer Leo Gamalho has goals in their last two home fixtures. Guillermo de los Santos picked up his first assist of the campaign in their loss this week, while Igor Paixao leads them in that department this season with four, tied with Adrian Martinez for second in goals at four.
Cuiaba Team News
Valdivia, Andre, and Alesson are tied for first on the team in goals with two apiece. Joaquim is tied with Marquinhos, Rafael Gava, and Felipe Marques for the team lead in assists with three apiece. Alan Empereur replaced Uendel in the starting lineup as he was replaced by Igor Carius and Kelvin Osorio.
Prediction and Odds
Coritiba’s defense is tough to crack, but Cuiaba has struggled to score on the road.
- Home Win
- Goals Under 2.5
- No Score: Away
