Sao Paulo can extend their unbeaten run to 14 consecutive matches in all competitions when they travel to Estadio Couto Pereira on Thursday to face Coritiba.
Coxa have been one of the feelgood stories in the early stages of the 2022 Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A campaign, currently positioned to claim the final automatic place at next season's Copa Libertadores, with Sao Paulo trailing them merely on goal difference.
Match preview
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Gustavo Morinigo could hardly have envisioned a better beginning to this top tier campaign, with Coritiba currently in fourth, just four points back of the league leaders, Corinthians.
They come into this encounter with a 100% home record, collecting a clean sheet in four of their five matches played in all competitions.
One of the trademarks which has made them so difficult to contend with at home this season is their ability to deny space and mark tightly.
In four of their five home fixtures in all competitions, they have conceded three efforts or fewer on target, twice allowing zero shots on goal.
When your first focus is to defend, it is essential to remain patient, and Coritiba have maintained their composure while looking for opportunities to counter.
Coxa are winless in their previous nine competitive fixtures against Sao Paulo, with their last triumph against them coming in 2014 (3-1).
Their passive approach can be physically taxing on these defenders, who have to cover a lot of ground if teams can break through their strong midfield line, with Glorioso conceding 11 goals thus far.
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After finishing in the bottom half of the table last year (13th) for the first time since 2017, the Sao Paulo that we are used to seeing have shown their capabilities this season, with points in eight of their nine domestic encounters.
Rogerio Ceni is an icon at this club, winning three league titles as a goalkeeper in the early 2000s, and his calm demeanour as manager seems to be what this team needed to restore the confidence which appeared to be lost in 2021.
His traditional 3-4-2-1 formation is a little out of the ordinary, yet it has been executed effectively, mainly because of how active their midfielders have been, winning balls deep in the defensive zone and kickstarting numerous counters.
Currently leading the league with 15 goals, Tricolor Paulista have not been shut out of a domestic fixture all season, while showing that they can hurt you in a variety of ways.
They are an intelligent side capable of executing a complicated system, although their formation is not without its flaws, namely their flat three at the back, who have struggled to cover those open gaps in the final third, conceding the fourth-most goals (11) to this point of the Serie A campaign.
While they have not come away empty-handed from a league fixture this year in which they have conceded first, Sao Paulo are guilty of missing numerous opportunities to climb up the table, squandering eight points from winning positions in 2022.
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Team News
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Coritiba are missing Leo Gamalho with a calf strain, Matheus Alexandre has a thigh problem, Andrey is gone for the season with a torn ACL, while Warley and Egidio might still be a couple of weeks away from returning from their unknown injuries.
Igor Paixao has been a revelation in the attack, notching three goals and two assists domestically, while Adrian Martinez scored his second of the league campaign with five minutes remaining, helping his side collect a 1-1 draw against Ceara.
Nathan, who is currently on loan from Sao Paulo, got his first start this season for Coxa on Saturday, while Alex Muralha has four clean sheets between the sticks.
Jonathan Calleri is off to a spectacular start for Sao Paulo this season as the Argentine, on loan from Deportivo Maldonado, leads the league with eight goals, while Rafinha, Alisson and Welington are tied for the team lead in assists with two.
Andres Colorado continues to recover from a muscle strain, while Nikao and Gabriel Sara remain sidelined with ankle injuries.
Emiliano Rigoni, who had four goals and five assists in the 2021 league campaign, continues to search for his first strike this year, while Luciano has contributed three goals to this point of the campaign.
Coritiba possible starting lineup:
Muralha; Biro, Castan, Henrique, Nathan; Farias, Robinho; Paixao, Anderson, Daniel; Martinez
Sao Paulo possible starting lineup:
Jandrei; Leo, Miranda, Costa; Reinaldo, Nestor, Maia, Welington; Rigoni, Calleri, Luciano
We say: Coritiba 1-1 Sao Paulo
As well organised and compact as Coritiba have been at home this season, there is plenty of quality on the Sao Paulo roster, and we do not expect Glorioso will be able to keep them at bay for the entire 90 minutes.
The last seven encounters between these sides have been decided by a goal or fewer, and we anticipate another tight match between two teams with plenty of quality all over the field.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Joel Lefevre
