Best Odds: 4/6
Bookmaker:
In what could prove to be a cagey Serie A affair from the Maracana late on Sunday night, Vasco will welcome Athletico-PR to Rio de Janeiro.
Vasco
Starting with the hosts, while Vasco might have managed to claim a much-needed 1-0 victory against Cuiaba last month, it appears that might have just been a minor boost for Ramon Diaz’s downbeat squad. Last seen putting in another worrying display as they slumped to a toothless 1-0 defeat at the hands of Cruzeiro, the one-time River Plate boss certainly has some growing pressure on his shoulders at the Maracana. Although the Admirals might have only made their Serie A return this season, it is no secret that Vasco are seen as a standout contender to be hit with an immediate second-tier return in 2023. Along with opening July with a routine 2-0 loss away at runaway leaders Botafogo, Vasco have remarkably lost eight of their previous nine domestic appearances across all competitions an extended rut that stems all the way back to a 1-1 draw against Cortibia on May 11th. Mustering just nine points from their opening 14 Serie A showdowns this season, Diaz’s men face what could be a must-win battle on Sunday night.
Team News
Both still dealing with respective long-term injury issues, Ruiz will once again be without the duo of Gabriel Dias and Cauan Barros here. However, making a cameo appearance in Vasco’s 1-0 loss against Cruzeiro earlier in the month after sustaining a minor knock, 28-year-old Jair could be handed a full return on Sunday night.
Although 19-year-old academy graduate Erick Marcus might have notched just a single Serie A strike so far this season, the Brazilian youth international should keep his spot leading the line.
Athletico Paranaense
As for the visitors, managing to draw a line under their nightmare rut last week as they claimed a 2-0 victory at home against Bahia, Athletico Paranaense are now desperate to find some much-needed stability. Bouncing back from their three-match losing run and looking to make a Serie A statement here, the Furacao should be excited by their most recent meeting against the top-flight returners. Storming their way to a routine 3-0 victory when they welcomed Vasco to the Arena da Baixada back in December 2020, caretaker boss Wesley Carvalho will be calling on his temporary squad to produce a similar performance this weekend. However, knowing that they face a real uphill battle in their bid to claim another top-six finish this season, the Parana-based outfit have gained a reputation for their glaring issues on the road. In fact, Athletico have mustered just a single point from their last seven away fixtures across all competitions.
Team News
Still dealing with an extended injury issue and not making a single Serie A appearance over the past five weeks, Carvalho will once again be unable to call upon 23-year-old midfielder Fernando this weekend.
Once again finding the net against Bahia last week and now notching eight Serie A strikes this season, 18-year-old talisman Vitor Roque will spearhead Paranaense s charge on Sunday night.
Key Factors to Consider
