Cruzeiro and Vasco face each other this Wednesday, at 21:00 (Brasília time), at Mineirão, in Belo Horizonte. The match is valid for the 31st round of the Campeonato Brasileiro Série B.
For Raposa, it is worth the mathematical access to the elite of the Brazilian Championship, after two years. The team needs a victory to get this confirmation in front of the crowded Mineirão, including the presence of Ronaldo Fenômeno, manager of the club. It is the first chance that the team will have to secure the spot in Serie A 2023. Cruzeiro is isolated in the lead, with 65 points: 14 more than Bahia, vice-leader, and 20 in relation to Londrina, fifth place.
Coach Paulo Pezzolano had two last-minute problems with the starting lineup. Bidu and Jajá are out of the match. In Bidu’s spot, there is the possibility of Marquinhos Cipriano, who made his debut at the weekend. Another possibility is the entry of Luvannor. In this case, Bruno Rodrigues would act more openly on the left, maintaining the team’s offensive structure, but changing the way of defending.
Jajá was tipped to play on the right side of the attack. Without him, the two main options are Geovane Jesus and Wesley Gasolina, with the former taking advantage in the fight for the title, especially if the option for Bidu’s vacancy is for Luvannor.
Vasco is going to Belo Horizonte to try to disrupt Cruzeiro’s party and, more than that, to recover from the bad campaign he’s been doing away from home in this Series B. Jorginho’s team comes from seven consecutive defeats away from Rio and, any point won in the Mineirão will be essential to keep a distance to the fifth placed Londrina, who is three points behind Vasco, and will be the opponent of the next round. For this, the coach must not touch the team that thrashed Náutico at home.
Jorginho should not make any changes to the team and will send to the field the same team that beat Náutico in the last round. Thus, Danilo Boza, Paulo Victor and Eguinaldo remain in the starting lineup. The coach’s concern is with the large number of athletes hanging: eight, five of them starters.
Guesses
Both teams score: yes
Despite Vasco having 11 goals in 15 games away from home in the competition campaign, Cruz-Maltino, since the debut of coach Jorginho, has scored five goals in two matches. The confrontation can be more balanced, even if the Fox comes out ahead. Betting that the carioca team will also score a goal has a high odd, and can be a good guess in Serie B.
More than 1.5 goals 1.40
A prudent guess. Even with the good performance of Cruzeiro and the good average of goals, the duel, because it is two elite teams, national champions, can be more tense and more balanced than usual, without so many balls in the net, without a rout. . Thinking “only” of more than 1.5 goals, therefore, should be safer.
2nd half: more than 0.5 goals
Duels with two big teams are usually more studied, so that no one takes too much risk right away and runs the risk of leaving behind the score. In the second half, however, both teams will try to win, as the result is important for both. The game can be more open in the second half, increasing the possibility of goals.
