Botafogo vs. Ceara: Brazil Serie A Match Preview, Odds & Prediction

Estádio Nilton Santos will host a Brasileiro match on Wednesday between reigning champions Botafogo and promoted club Ceará in a battle for CONMEBOL Libertadores qualifying.

Vozao will be eager to get back on track after suffering back-to-back defeats, while Fogo aims to make it three victories in a row this weekend.

Previous Matches and Head-to-head

Botafogo, managed by Renato Paiva, was ousted from the Copa do Brasil on May 23, but they have won five of their past seven matches and drawn one. In June, Fogo secured a 1-0 away win against Santos, securing all three points. Paiva's squad currently stands in ninth position with 15 points from 10 league games, five points ahead of 17th-placed Fortaleza in the relegation zone and three points behind sixth-placed Bahia.

The hosts, Ceara, are looking for their sixth consecutive win and eighth straight win at Estadio Nilton Santos to move into the Libertadores positions. They have a chance to pass Bahia, Mirassol, and Atletico Mineiro to claim the top six, but a loss would give their opponents a chance to knock them down to thirteenth.

Leo Conde's Ceara began May with seven points out of nine but lost their next two games and will need to get back on track to continue climbing the table. Vozao's team lost 1-0 to Atletico-MG, adding to their disappointment of losing 3-0 to Palmeiras in the cup. Conde's squad fell to 10th position, tying them for ninth place, with Gremio in 12th place and Corinthians in 11th place.

The visitors have struggled on the road, losing four of their previous six games and drawing two of their last six. If they win their first game away from home this season, they will pass Botafogo and move into the top six; however, if they lose, they will fall farther behind the competition.

Botafogo x Ceara Team News

Botafogo manager Paiva has an almost injury-free roster to pick from, with the possible exception of winger Matheus Martins, who has been out since April 27 due to a hamstring injury.

Since left-back Cuiabano did not play against Santos, Artur and Allan should start wide again. They will likely be supporting striker Rwan Cruz and attacking midfielder Jefferson Savarinho if he is unable to play.

Expect to see Pedro Raul, a center striker, Antonio Galeano, and Pedro Henrique for Ceara as they head to Estadio Nilton Santos with a fully fit squad.

In the center of the pitch, Dieguinho and Fernando Sobral will attempt to maintain stability, while Lucas Mugni will be positioned up top as the offensive midfielder.

On the other side, the visitors should be captained by Marllon, who should start in the middle of Conde's backline, with Fabiano Souza and Nicolas alternating runs at fullback.

Our Predictions

Botafogo to win @ 1.59 Sky247.ng

After losing in the cup, Botafogo won their last two games in a row, so they should be confident in their ability to win all three points this week. The fact that Ceara has lost their last six away games adds fuel to the fire, as does Fogo's stellar home record.

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