Vasco da Gama vs. Bragantino: Brasileiro Match Preview, Odds & Prediction

This coming Saturday, an in-form Bragantino team will travel to Rio de Janeiro to take on an opponent from Vasco da Gama in the Brazilian Serie A.

Last year, Vasco made it to European football while Bragantino just escaped relegation; however, this year, the tables have turned, and the visitors are in a dogfight for first place after ten matches.

Previous Matches and Head-to-head

Vasco da Gama's league form has been negatively affected this season, with Fernando Diniz's team losing 2-1 away to Fluminense last weekend.

They are entering this matchup in fifteenth place, one point ahead of the drop zone, and their chances of finishing in the bottom four or qualifying for the Sudamericana depend on the outcomes of their next two matches, one of which is at Sao Paulo before the break.

Bragantino, one of four teams in a cluster with a contender for the championship, has no such concerns.

Under Fernando Seabra's leadership, the club's fortunes have turned around dramatically from the previous year, when they were certain of avoiding relegation heading into the final day.

Bragantino has only lost once in their first four away matches this season. In their most recent away match against Gremio, they managed to salvage a point thanks to an equaliser by Isidro Pitta in the 89th minute.

Bragantino will play Bahia at home in their last match before the break, and Seabra will aim for two victories before then to secure first place in the rankings.

Vasco da Gama x Bragantino Team News

Hugo Moura and Luiz Gustavo will be unavailable for Vasco due to suspensions. Last week, both players received their third booking of the season against Fluminense, with Gustavo receiving those warnings in just four outings.

On the injury front, French seasoned player Dimitri Payet is questionable due to a knee condition, which will also keep David and Guilherme Estrella out of action.

Pablo Vegetti, a 36-year-old striker for Vasco, has been brilliant this season. Only Giorgian De Arrascaeta has scored more goals for Vasco than him (7). Midweek, Vegetti scored his fourth goal in the Sudamericana, but he also scored an own goal in last week's loss to Fluminense.

Just days after netting a hat trick in a 6-0 thrashing of Criciuma, Bragantino's Lucas Barbosa will sit out this matchup due to a red card he received late in their win over Juventude last Saturday.

Along with injured players Lucao, Henry Mosquera, Fernando dos Santos, and Agustin Sant'Anna, Guzman Rodriguez will miss time due to a suspension he received for a third warning last week.

Our predictions

Full-time draw @ 3.10 on Sky247.ng

Even though Bragantino is in far better form and has grabbed seven of their twelve points on the road this season, it is still tough to win games when you're not playing at home in this league.

Despite possible fatigue following their midweek victory, Vasco should be able to capitalise on their home-field advantage in light of their current situation and should be in the hunt for a victory.

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