Sao Paulo vs Atletico Goianiense Match Analysis and Prediction

2 years ago 472

Atletico Goianiense will be looking to progress to their first Copa Sudamericana final in club history when they travel to Estadio Cicero Pompeu de Toledo on Friday with a 3-1 aggregate lead over Sao Paulo.

Sao Paulo picked one of the worst possible times to have an off game at the Sudamericana, as they allowed three goals in that game as they had conceded in all six of their group stage matches combined.

Their predicament is one that the club’s record cap holder knows all too well, as Rogerio Ceni and his side faced a 3-1 deficit in the 2003 Sudamericana semi-finals against River Plate, winning the second leg 2-0, but losing on penalties despite Ceni scoring in the shootout.

Over the past few weeks, the goalscoring in this squad has hit the rock, with Soberano scoring a goal or fewer in their last five matches across all competitions.

They have also been unusually poor on home turf of late, losing three of their previous four matches played at Estadio Cicero Pompeu de Toledo, failing to score on two occasions.

One of the most unlikely stories in the competition has been Atletico Goianiense, who have repeatedly beaten the odds at the 2022 Sudamericana. They have defeated some vastly experienced South American teams, topping a group that featured two former champions, Defensa y Justicia and LDU Quito.

Since the beginning of the new domestic campaign, Jorginho’s side have struggled consistently competing at high level, but that has not been the case at this competition, where they have won seven of their 11 matches played, collecting two clean sheets away from home.

Having trailed a knockout stage tie previously by two goals and eventually coming out on top could serve as a significant advantage for Atletico Goianiense heading into this deciding fixture.

Sao Paulo vs Atletico Goianiense head to head

The two teams have previously met on 14 occasions across two competitions, where Sao Paulo have claimed six victories while Goianiense have won five, and they have drawn in three. They have scored 22 goals each in the process. In their last five meetings, Sao Paulo have won two and Goianiense three.

Atletico Goianiense 2-1 Sao Paulo 31/01/21

Atletico Goianiense 2-0 Sao Paulo 06/06/21

Sao Paulo 2-1 Atletico Goianiense 19/09/21

Atletico Goianiense 1-2 Sao Paulo 03/07/22

Atletico Goianiense 3-1 Sao Paulo 02/09/22

Sao Paulo latest home form

Sao Paulo have recently failed to keep a good run of form at home, having won just two of their five most recent matches. They lost 1-0 to Fortaleza in their last home game in the league. In their last five matches, they have scored five goals and conceded six.

Sao Paulo 1-0 Ceara 04/08/22

Sao Paulo 0-2 Flamengo 07/08/22

Sao Paulo 3-0 RB Bragantino 14/08/22

Sao Paulo 1-3 Flamengo 25/08/22

Sao Paulo 0-1 Fortaleza 28/08/22

Sao Paulo latest away form

Sao Paulo have recently failed to keep a good run of form on the road, having won just one of their seven most recent matches. They drew 1-1 with Cuiaba in their last away game in the league. In their last five matches, they have scored five goals and conceded nine.

Ceara 2-1(P) Sao Paulo 11/08/22

America Mineiro 2-2 Sao Paulo 19/08/22

Santos 1-0 Sao Paulo 22/08/22

Atletico Goianiense 3-1 Sao Paulo 02/09/22

Cuiaba 1-1 Sao Paulo 05/09/22

Atletico Goianiense latest home form

Atletico Goianiense lost 2-0 to Atletico Mineiro in their last home game in the league. However, they have recently been on a good run of form at home, as they have been unbeaten in their previous five games. In their last five matches, they have scored nine goals and conceded five.

Atletico Goianiense 2-1 RB Bragantino 07/08/22

Atletico Goianiense 3-0 Nacional 10/08/22

Atletico Goianiense 1-1 Cuiaba 22/08/22

Atletico Goianiense 3-1 Sao Paulo 02/09/22

Atletico Goianiense 0-2 Atletico Mineiro 05/09/22

Atletico Goianiense latest away form

Atletico Goianiense have recently failed to keep a good run of form on the road, having won just one of their six most recent matches. They lost 2-1 to Goias in their last away game in the league. In their last five matches, they have scored four goals and conceded 10.

Flamengo 4-1 Atletico Goianiense 31/07/22

Nacional 0-1 Atletico Goianiense 03/08/22

Botafogo 0-0 Atletico Goianiense 14/08/22

Corinthians 4-1 Atletico Goianiense 18/08/22

Goias 2-1 Atletico Goianiense 27/08/22

Sao Paulo news

Luciano scored his fifth goal for Sao Paulo in their defeat to Goianiense last Friday, with Rodrigo Nestor collecting his first assist of the competition.

After receiving a pair of cautions in the opening half last week, midfielder Igor Gomes will be suspended on Friday, while Luan and Nikao are nursing thigh issues.

Atletico Goianiense news

Atletico Goianiense midfielder Jorge de Moura Xavier (Jorginho) scored his third of the competition last week, while the other tallies came from Leo Pereira, his first of the season, and Shaylon.

Ramon Menezes, Ronaldo and Emerson Santos are all out for the season, with the Goianiense keeper suffering a shoulder injury.

Prediction and Odds

Sao Paulo have some quality attackers, so reversing this deficit is not out of the realm of possibilities, particularly as they play on their home turf.

However, Atletico Goianiense are capable of frustrating the hosts for large portions of this contact and may still have enough to maintain their advantage.

Odds: 1 2.22 X 2.05 2 2.28