Atletico Mineiro take on the visitors Sao Paulo in the second leg of Copa do Brazil quarterfinals. The First leg result: 1-0. The match will be played on Friday, September 13th at MRV Arena (Belo Horizonte).
After spending almost the entire match defending, Atlético Mineiro managed to secure a victory in São Paulo (1-0), with Argentine player Battaglia scoring in the 92nd minute. Alongside their matches in the domestic cup, the "Roosters" are also competing in the Copa Libertadores, where at the end of August they advanced past San Lorenzo in the playoffs (1-1 and 1-0), with the winning goal in the second leg also scored by Battaglia. In the Brazilian Serie A, Atlético Mineiro is performing well, currently sitting in ninth place, and in the most recent round, they pulled off a fantastic comeback: after trailing 0-2 away to Grêmio, they managed to turn things around in the final minutes (3-2). Attacking leaders Hulk and Paulinho were rested in the previous match and are now ready to return to action with full energy. Another player worth mentioning is Gustavo Scarpa, who recorded a goal and an assist in Atlético's last two matches. The "Roosters" don't have many injury concerns, with only right winger Alisson and attacking midfielder Matías Zaracho sidelined.
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São Paulo, on the other hand, has significantly more injury issues, mainly in defense. While defender Igor Vinícius has been out since late July, his fellow defenders João Moreira and Patrick recently sustained injuries and will miss the match against Atlético. Additionally, left winger Ferreirinho is unavailable due to a hamstring problem. These injuries have greatly contributed to São Paulo's recent struggles. The "Tricolor" has been falling apart on almost all fronts. While they managed to advance to the next stage of the Copa Libertadores, they suffered defeats in both the domestic league and cup in their most recent matches: Atlético Mineiro (0-1) and Fluminense (0-2). Overall, São Paulo has only two wins in their last six matches across all competitions, while Atlético Mineiro has just one loss in their previous eight. Moreover, Atlético has been strong in home matches lately, rarely losing. For comparison, São Paulo has only earned one point from their last five away matches in Serie A.
Now, the task is to maintain that advantage at home. I’m betting that Atlético Mineiro will succeed and at least not lose at home, but they’re more likely to win. São Paulo has no reason to sit back in defense; they will need to attack in large numbers, leaving themselves exposed. And the "Roosters" are known for their counterattacking play, something their opponents are well aware of. Atlético Mineiro has been a very difficult opponent for São Paulo in recent years. August's loss was São Paulo’s fourth consecutive defeat in head-to-head meetings. The "Roosters" have now gone eight games unbeaten against this opponent (five wins and three draws). Specifically, São Paulo hasn't won away against Atlético since 2016, a span of eight matches, and it's unlikely they will do so now. The hosts are in good form compared to the visitors, who are going through a slump. My prediction: a handicap (0) on Atlético.
Prediction for the match: Atletico Mineiro to win with 0,0 handicap.
