Best Odds: 7/10
Bookmaker:
Two sides who find themselves scrapping it out at the foot of the Serie A table, Cuiaba will welcome Vitoria to the Arena Pantanal in the early hours of Thursday.
Cuiaba
Starting with the hosts, while Cuiaba might have embarked on a major Copa Sudamericana adventure this year, Petit’s men are at the heart of a major domestic struggle. Last seen over the weekend putting in a toothless performance as they slumped to a 1-0 loss at home against Internacional, the Dourado sit rock-bottom of the Serie A table and have come under plenty of top-flight scrutiny. Opening up the 2024 campaign with a routine 4-0 drumming at the hands of Athletico-PR, the former Boavista boss knows that his squad faces a major must-win showdown in the early hours of Thursday. In fact, Cuiaba have lost all of their first five Serie A appearances by an aggregate score of 11-0. The only side among Brazil’s elite that are yet to put a single point on the board, Petit’s men will certainly have a huge amount of pressure on their shoulders.
Team News
Both still dealing with respective injury issues and yet to make a single appearance so far this season, Cuiaba will once again be without the duo of Filipe Augusto and one-time Levante striker Deyverson in midweek. Likewise, dealing with a recent muscle injury, 24-year-old Derik Lacerda remains a doubt in the early hours of Thursday.
Recording four goals across all competitions since opening up the 2024 campaign, ex-Huesca star Isidro Pitta will spearhead Cuiaba’s charge at the Arena Pantanal. Only arriving from Gremio earlier in the year, Bruno Alves will once again partner Marllon at the heart of Petit’s defence.
Vitoria
As for the visitors, while Vitoria might have stormed their way to a Serie A return this season, Thiago Carpini’s men have drastically struggled to find any kind of stability. Already pencilled in as a landslide contender to be hit with an immediate second-tier return this year, the Barra’s Lions have managed to register just a single point from any of their first six Serie A showdowns. Last seen over the weekend putting in another downbeat performance as they suffered a routine 2-0 defeat at home against Atletico GO, Thursday’s guests have lost all of their previous six appearances across all competitions. Crashing out of the Copa do Brasil after getting hit with a 2-1 loss at the hands of Botafogo, Vitoria have continued to show a string of glaring issues. It should also be noted, Carpini’s side have lost their previous three contests outside of Bahia by an aggregate score of 6-2.
Team News
Both shown respective red cards against Atletico GO last week, Vitoria will be unable to call upon the suspended duo of Patric Calmon and Eduardo Rodrigues here. Likewise, 30-year-old defender Camutanga is set to serve the final game of his three-match suspension in the early hours of Thursday.
Suffering another injury set-back, one-time Sport Recife striker Mateus Goncalves remains on the sidelines and will not feature at the Arena Pantanal. Yet to open his Serie A account this season, Bragantino loanee Alerrandro could be handed a rest and replaced in the final third by Lucas Esteves.
Key Factors to Consider
