Internacional will be looking to heap more misery on struggling Vasco da Gama when the two sides meet at Estadio Beira-Rio on Sunday.
Following four straight defeats, the visitors find themselves second from bottom in the table, while the hosts occupy 13th place thanks to a recent upturn.
Match preview
© Reuters
Internacional played out a 1-1 draw with Uruguayan side Club Nacional in midweek, conceding an 89th-minute equaliser to suffer late disappointment in Montevideo, despite dominating large spells of the contest.
Even though Inter dropped a couple of points against Nacional, Mano Menezes's side remain unbeaten in the Copa Libertadores this year, having picked up two wins and three draws to cement second place in Group B.
After kicking off their Brasileirao campaign with a run of two wins and a draw, the Porto Alegre outfit suffered four successive league defeats, falling to Sao Paulo, Athletico Paranaense, Atletico Mineiro and Gremio while scoring a solitary goal.
Since then, however, Internacional have taken four points from a possible six, with a 2-0 victory over Bahia preceding last weekend's 1-1 draw at Santos, courtesy of veteran striker Luiz Adriano's first league goal of the season.
Given that Inter have lost just one of their 15 home games across all competitions this year – securing 10 wins along the way – the hosts will be hopeful of notching another positive result at Estadio Beira-Rio this weekend.
© Reuters
Vasco da Gama, meanwhile, suffered a 4-1 thrashing at the hands of Flamengo last time out, conceding four first-half goals to extend their losing streak to four matches, with a 4-2 defeat to Sao Paulo coming last month.
When you look at the bigger picture, the Rio de Janeiro outfit have failed to win any of their previous eight league outings, recording three wins and five losses to remain in the Brasileirao relegation zone.
Mauricio Barbieri's men kicked off their top-flight campaign with an impressive 2-1 victory at Atletico Mineiro, but it has been all downhill since then, as Vasco have taken just three points from a possible 24.
To make matters worse for the Admiral, only two sides have conceded more goals than Vasco da Gama's 17 this season, while Barbieri's men have failed to keep a single clean sheet in the league.
Having conceded 10 goals across their previous three outings, Vasco must tighten things up defensively if they are to climb the standings, or they could end up suffering an immediate return to the second tier.
Team News
© Reuters
Long-term injury absentee Gabriel remains sidelined for Internacional, while midfielder Mauricio is likely to miss this weekend's clash as he continues to recover from a shoulder problem.
Wanderson, Alan Patrick and Carlos De Pena are expected to support Luiz Adriano in attack, with Romulo Zwarg and Johnny Cardoso expected to operate in defensive midfield.
As for Vasco da Gama, Patrick de Lucca and Riquelme are both sidelined with ACL injuries, while Gabriel Dias will miss Sunday's showdown due to a tendon issue.
Mauricio Barbieri will likely opt for a 3-4-3 formation, which will see Miranda, Manuel Capasso and Leo occupy the centre-back spots, leaving Jair and Matias Galarza to anchor the midfield.
Argentine youngster Luca Orellano is expected to join Pedro Raul and Alex Teixeira in Vasco's forward line, although those three players have combined for just two Serie A goals this year.
Internacional possible starting lineup:
Keiller; Bustos, Vitao, Hernandez, Rene; Cardoso, Zwarg; De Pena, Patrick, Wanderson; Adriano
Vasco da Gama possible starting lineup:
Leonardo; Miranda, Capasso, Leo; Rodriguez, Jair, Galarza, Piton; Orellano, Raul, Teixeira
We say: Internacional 3-1 Vasco da Gama
Given that Vasco da Gama have failed to win since the opening weekend of the Brasileirao season, we expect the visitors to suffer a fifth successive loss on Sunday, with Internacional inflicting another heavy defeat on the basement dwellers.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Ben Morris
