Seeking to move off the foot of the Brasileiro table, Coritiba play host to Santos at the Estadio Couto Pereira on Saturday.
While the hosts are searching for their first win in any competition since February, the visitors are looking to end their seven-game streak without a victory.
Match preview
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Coritiba are the only Brasileiro team who are yet to win any of their opening nine league games this season, as they have lost six times and drawn the remaining three, while they have conceded a league-high 20 goals in the process.
Their latest setback took place at the home of reigning champions Palmeiras where they suffered a 3-1 defeat last Sunday, with Alef Manga netting a consolation strike seven minutes from time.
The pressure is mounting on head coach Antonio Carlos Zago who is still searching for his first win since his appointment at the end of April, and his side already sit five points adrift of safety.
Coritiba, who were also knocked out in the first round of the Copa do Brasil two months ago, flirted with relegation for the majority of last season before securing a 15th-placed finish, and another campaign at the wrong end of the table could be on the cards if they fail to turn their fortunes around any time soon.
Registering their first victory of the campaign on Saturday will a tall order, though, as they have failed to win each of their last six league meetings with Santos, where Zago ended his playing career in 2007.
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Santos extended their unwanted winless run to seven matches in all competitions when they suffered a 2-1 defeat at home against Newell's Old Boys in their penultimate Copa Sudamericana group stage fixture on Wednesday.
Marcos Leonardo's ninth goal of the campaign cancelled out an opener from Juan Sebastian Souza to provide the hosts with hope of completing a late comeback, but the visitors snatched all three points courtesy of a 98th-minute winner from Marcos Portillo, condemning the Peixe to defeat and elimination at the first hurdle of South America's secondary club competition.
Odair Hellmann's men now turn their attention back to domestic duties and will endeavour to put together a positive run of form having experienced an inconsistent start to the Brasileiro season, winning, drawing and losing three games each.
As a result, Santos unsurprisingly sit mid-table, occupying 12th place at present where they finished last season, but a victory on Saturday could see them climb as high as seventh and move within touching distance of the Copa Libertadores qualification spots.
Santos head into Saturday's contest having lost four of their last five away games, but they will be confident of success at the Estadio Couto Pereira as they have won each of their last four top-flight encounters with Coritiba, scoring two goals on every occasion including a 2-1 away win in their most recent meeting in August 2022.
Team News
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Coritiba trio Rodrigo Pinho, Willian Farias (both muscle) and Thiago Dombroski (knee) are all ruled out through injury, while Kaio Cesar is also set to miss out due to illness.
Benjamin Kuscevic will serve a one-match suspension due to an accumulation of yellow cards, so Gustavo Vilar could be handed a start in the back three alongside Henrique and Bruno Viana.
Top scorer Alef Manga, who has scored 10 goals in all tournaments so far this season, will be hoping to force his way back into the first XI at the expense of either Robson or Ze Roberto.
As for Santos, Lucas Braga is ruled out with a thigh injury, while Felipe Jonatan remains sidelined with a long-term ACL problem.
However, the visitors are able to welcome back Joaquim Henrique after serving a Copa Libertadores suspension and the centre-back is expected to replace Luiz Felipe in the starting lineup.
Marcos Leonardo, who has been linked with a move to Manchester United, is set to lead the line with support to be provided in attack by wingers Stiven Mendoza and Luca Barbosa.
Coritiba possible starting lineup:
Gabriel; Vilar, Henrique, Viana; Natanael, Liziero, Gomes, Bahia; Boschili; Manga, Robson
Santos possible starting lineup:
Paulo; Santos, Messias, Henrique, Pires; Alison, Dodi; Mendoza, Lima, Barbosa; Leonardo
We say: Coritiba 1-2 Santos
Coritiba can ill-afford to drop too many more points if they wish to avoid becoming the whipping boys of the Brasileiro, and will view Saturday's fixture against a fellow out-of-sorts side in Santos as a good opportunity to open their account for the season.
However, Hellmann will be keen to see a response from his Santos squad following their early Copa Sudamericana exit and we can see the visitors claiming a slender victory in a closely-fought contest.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Oliver Thomas
