Internacional take on the visitors Fortaleza in the round 19 match of Brazilian Serie A. The match will be played on Thursday, September 12th at Estádio José Pinheiro Borda (Porto Alegre).
Last year, Internacional finished in ninth place, and now they are currently in tenth. There is no consistency, with successful matches alternating with unsuccessful ones. In ten home games within Serie A, the "Reds" managed to secure only four wins. I don't consider Internacional the favorites in the match against Fortaleza either. The home team is struggling with a wave of injuries in August. Goalkeeper Fabrício (8 matches, 3 clean sheets), defender Aguirre (8 matches), winger Wanderson (12 matches, 1 goal), and forward Lucca (8 matches) are all out. There is no clear leader in the attack. Wellington, who has scored five goals in the league, is out of form, having found the net only once in the last ten league matches. Lately, the "Reds" have been playing in a 4-5-1 formation, with Borré (4 goals + 1 assist) as the lone forward.
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Fortaleza is the biggest positive surprise of the current Serie A season. Last year, the "Lions" finished just tenth in the league table. Now, they are seriously competing for the championship and were even leading the standings just a round ago. Unfortunately, they lost to Botafogo (0-2), surrendering the top spot. However, it's not a catastrophe. This defeat was their first in the previous ten league matches (before that, they had eight wins and one draw), ending their five-match winning streak. Simultaneously, Fortaleza has been successful in the Copa Sudamericana, advancing past Argentina's Rosario Central in August (1-1, 3-1). The team consistently plays a 4-3-3 formation in the league, regardless of home or away status. In the attacking trio, the coach rotates six players: Breno Lopes, Renato Kayzer, Yago Pikachu, Moisés, Marinho, and the top scorer Juan Lucero (8 goals + 2 assists).
Internacional has been unable to beat this opponent in their last three meetings, with one draw and two losses. In their most recent encounter, the "Reds" lost 0-1 at home to the "Lions." I believe the visitors can take at least one point from Porto Alegre this time. The hosts have far more injury problems. On home soil this season, Internacional loses points more often than it wins. In contrast, Fortaleza has lost only two of their last 15 Serie A matches, with two draws and 11 victories. They are performing much better than Internacional this season, as evidenced by the 16-point gap between the teams in the table. My prediction is a Double Chance: X2, Fortaleza will at least avoid defeat.
Prediction for the match: Fortaleza not to lose (X2).
