Goias return to Estadio Serrinha on Sunday with a chance to extend their home unbeaten run to four matches in all competitions when they battle Cuiaba.
Esmeraldino lost their previous Brasileiro Serie A encounter 2-1 at Sao Paulo, moving a point behind Cuiaba in the table, with the latter collecting a 1-1 draw at home to Coritiba.
Match preview
© Reuters
It has been a less-than-ideal start to the Serie A campaign for the club from Goiania, who have incurred four defeats in their last six domestic encounters, putting them in the final relegation position for the time being.
Entering matchday nine, Goias have scored the joint-fewest goals in Serie A (seven), failing to find the back of the net in four of their domestic affairs.
While their overall form has not improved too much domestically since Emerson Avila replaced Guto Ferreira as the interim boss last month, their results in other cup competitions have been positive, with Goias capturing the Copa Verde earlier this week, while they remain unbeaten in the group stage of the Copa Sudamericana after four games.
Most of their damage this season has come through set pieces, where this group possesses some great dead-ball specialists who have caused problems for their opponents.
Six of their seven points in the Brazilian top flight this season have come on home soil, where Goias have conceded a goal or fewer in three successive matches in all competitions after giving up five at the beginning of May in a lopsided defeat to the reigning champions Palmeiras (5-0).
In three previous league fixtures versus Cuiaba, Goias have a 100% record, winning twice at home and without a goal conceded in those two victories.
© Reuters
Since entering Serie A for the first time in 2021, Cuiaba have been in survival mode early and often, narrowly avoiding relegation in their opening two league seasons.
While a lot can happen in between now and the end of this season, it is shaping up like another one of those campaigns where Dourado are hovering near the bottom of the standings, currently just a point above relegation, having scored the same number of goals as Goias thus far.
Eight points is not a massive total, but given the struggles Cuiaba have experienced in competing with other teams in the top flight, they have actually equalled their best start to a Serie A campaign thus far from a season ago.
Less than a year after leaving to manage Coritiba, Antonio Oliveira is back at Cuiaba, unbeaten in his first two encounters this time around, with just one goal conceded over that stretch.
Dourado have dropped four points from winning positions in 2023, though their only two victories thus far have occurred away from home, which is already half as many as they managed all of last season.
When this team are at their best, they are playing with width and attacking down the right-hand channel, forcing their opponents to defend deep, an approach which has resulted in most of their goals.
Team News
Jhonny Lucas and Morelli are both expected back to the Goias lineup by the middle of June from their respective thigh injuries.
Maguinho scored the opening goal in their last domestic encounter, his second of the league campaign, moving into a tie with Bruno Melo for the team lead, while Tadeu has conceded three times in his previous two domestic fixtures since replacing Marcelo Rangel in between the sticks.
Vinicius was back in the squad after previously hurting his ankle, scoring their opening goal against Paysandu at the Copa Verda, with the winner coming courtesy of Matheus Peixoto, while Lucas Halter and Maguinho both netted when they defeated Cuiaba 2-0 in the second leg of their Copa Verde semi-final clash, enabling them to come back and win that tie 2-1 on aggregate.
Uendel is dealing with an ACL strain for Dourado, Joao Maranini has a sore knee and Filipe Augusto will not be available because of a thigh injury.
Fernando Sobral gave his side the lead in the third minute of their previous domestic encounter versus Coritiba before they conceded the equaliser early in the second half, while Deyverson has the only strike for them in league play versus Goias, scoring in their 2-1 away defeat last season.
Ronald scored just before half time in the opening leg of their semi-final clash with Goias, with Walter picking up a clean sheet on that occasion.
Goias possible starting lineup:
Tadeu; Santos, Halter, Melo, Hugo; Maguinho, Oliveira, Bastos, Alesson; Palacios, Peixoto
Cuiaba possible starting lineup:
Walter; Alexandre, Empereur, Marllon, Calmon; Sobral, Raniele, Ronald; Cafu, Deyverson, Castilho
We say: Goias 1-0 Cuiaba
Having such a demanding schedule can be detrimental, but given how well Goias have fared in those other competitions, we believe they will gain some much-needed confidence which could benefit them this weekend.
Cuiaba have been better of late but have not shown they can maintain that kind of consistency long term, so we are giving the home side a slight edge in this one.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Joel Lefevre
