Two Brasileiro sides struggling for form lock horns on Sunday evening, as Athletico Paranaense welcome Corinthians to the Arena da Baixada.
The hosts have won just one of their last seven league games, while the visitors have failed to win seven of their previous 10 matches.
Match preview
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Athletico Paranaense progressed into the semi-finals of the Copa Sudamericana after coming from behind to beat LDU Quito 4-2 on Wednesday night, winning 4-3 on aggregate.
A brace each from Christian and Guilherme Bissoli helps keep the 2018 champions on course to claim their second crown in this competition, with a last-four clash against Penarol awaiting next month.
That victory for Antonio Oliveira's men was one of few triumphs they have been able to celebrate in recent weeks, as they have endured a poor domestic run of form.
Despite a strong start to their Brasileiro campaign – accumulating 19 points from their first nine games, which left them sitting two points off the summit – Paranaense have since suffered a major dip in form, losing four and drawing one of their next six matches, slipping 14 points behind league leaders Atletico Mineiro.
Paranaense, who are now in sixth place, face a Corinthians side who could leapfrog them into the top six if they were to win on Sunday.
The Furacao have failed to win any of their last four meetings against Corinthians, drawing and losing two games each, and another defeat this weekend would pile the pressure on Oliveira's shoulders.
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A consistently inconsistent 2021 campaign for Corinthians has seen them stagnate in the Brazilian top flight, as they currently sit six points clear of the relegation zone and seven points behind the top four.
The Timao have won and lost five matches each as well as drawing six games so far this season, and they have a zero goal difference after scoring and conceding 15 goals each.
Following a 3-1 loss away at Flamengo and a goalless draw at home against Santos, the Timao claimed all three points with a 3-1 victory against Ceara last weekend, thanks to a first-half brace from Adson and a second-half strike from Renato Augusto.
That result was just the third time this campaign that Corinthians had scored more than once in a single game. Sylvinho's side will now prepare for a clash against Parananense, who they have scored at least twice against in three of their last four meetings, including an entertaining 3-3 draw in February.
A strong run of positive results is required if Corinthians are to push further up the table and better last year's 12th-place finish.
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Team News
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Athletico Paranaense will still be without Matheus Babi and Lucas Halter, as the pair continue to recover from respective knee and foot injuries.
After scoring a brace in midweek, Bissoli is set to keep his place up front as the lone striker ahead of Renato Kayzer, while Nikao, David Terans and Vitinho will likely provide support from attacking midfield roles.
As for Corinthians, they also have two players ruled out through injury, with midfielders Gustavo Mantuan and Ruan Oliveira set to miss the rest of this month with knee problems.
A back four of Fagner, Victor, Gil and Fabio Santos are all expected to start once again, shielding goalkeeper and club captain Cassio.
The Timao's top goalscorer Jo, who has netted four times so far this term, has failed to score in each of his last six league games, but the 34-year-old is set to keep his place up front, with wingers Adson and Gustavo Silva likely to join him in a three-man attack.
Athletico Paranaense possible starting lineup:
Santos; Marchino, Henrique, Helando, Abner; Richard, Christian; Nikao, Terans, Vitinho; Bissoli
Corinthians possible starting lineup:
Cassio; Fagner, Victor, Gil, Santos; Giuliano, Gabriel, Roni; Adson, Jo, Silva
We say: Athletico Paranaense 1-1 Corinthians
Both Paranaense and Corinthians will be keen to put together a good run of form as they push for Copa Libertadores or Copa Sudamericana qualification. However, with little to separate these two sides, a score draw could be on cards at the Arena da Baixada.
Top tip
Oliver Thomas
Data Analysis
Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a Athletico Paranaense win with a probability of 45.31%. A draw had a probability of 28.1% and a win for Corinthians had a probability of 26.54%.
The most likely scoreline for an Athletico Paranaense win was 1-0 with a probability of 13.92%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 2-0 (9.12%) and 2-1 (8.5%). The likeliest drawn scoreline was 1-1 (12.97%), while for a Corinthians win it was 0-1 (9.9%). The actual scoreline of 0-1 was predicted with a 9.9% likelihood.
