Two sides whose place is not at the bottom face off this week, as Fortaleza host Santos in Round 12 of the Brasileiro Serie A. The three points should be enough push the winning side out of the drop zone for at least a little while, depending on a couple of results elsewhere.
Fortaleza's incredible 2024 campaign, which saw them finish 4th and earn a place in the Copa Libertadores, now feels like a distant memory, as the team enters this contest with five defeats in a row across all competitions. Juan Pablo Vojvoda's side has been struggling on all fronts, scoring a single goal in its last five competitive fixtures. For contrast, they conceded 12 in the same period.
On the other side of the pitch, Santos returned to the elite after winning Serie B last season, but to little success. Cleber Xavier's Peixe have achieved nothing from the start of the season, winning two of the 11 matches to date. And while their defensive performance is far from the worst, Santos have the 2nd least effective attack in the league this season.
How the bookies view it: Laion to end their losing streak
While both sides have shown little promise lately, bookmakers expect Fortaleza to claim the three points and find a place in the safe zone. You can pick the hosts at 21/20, while Santos are available at 13/5. Meanwhile, the draw is also an option at 12/5.
Recent head to head: Three in a row for Fortaleza
Ever since Fortaleza's emergence to the top flight, Santos have been one of their favourite opponents. The teams have met a total of 16 times in official matches, and Laion lead with five wins to three. These stats show that 50% of all H2Hs ended level, but we have to note that most draws were from over 10-15 years ago. The important bit is that Fortaleza won the last three encounters.
Players to watch: Guilherme to find his form again?
With both teams underperforming in Serie A, it is near impossible to find a suitable pick from these two squads. We had to dig deeper for our choice and we found some value in Guilherme's odds. The 30-year-old has only scored once in the championship but his performance in the Paulista earlier this year was exceptional. He scored 10 goals across 14 appearances. It is about time he finds his form again.
Probable line-ups
Fortaleza: Ricardo, Mancuso, Mancha, Kuscevic, Tinga, Martinez, Welison, Pochettino, Pimenta, Marinho, Deyverson
Santos: Brazao, Escobar, Souza, Basso, Ivaldo, Pituca, Rafael, Rollheiser, Barreal, Guilherme, Washington
Anything else catch the eye?
While the last two H2Hs featured more than three goals each, it is hard to expect the same from the teams at this moment in time. Santos have scored twice in five games while Fortaleza have scored just once. Neither side seems to have a solution right now, and there is even a feeling that we might get one of the worst fixtures of the season. Even the 0-0 feels possible, although we expect a one-goal win for Laion.
Fortaleza had their best games this season at home, including a few considerable wins, while Santos lost all away games, apart from their last one. But even so, they rarely conceded more than one goal (twice in six matches). With this said, we have to pick 1-0 for our final scoreline.
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