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Brasileiro | Gameweek 15
Jul 16, 2023 at 1am UK
Estadio Nilton Santos
Bragantino

Botafogo
2 - 0
Bragantino

Eduardo (48'), Di Placido (60')
Cuesta (53')
FT(HT: 0-0)

Vitinho (21')

Preview: Botafogo vs. Bragantino - prediction, team news, lineups

Sports Mole previews Sunday's Brasileiro clash between Botafogo and Bragantino, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.

Botafogo will aim to further extend their lead at the top of the Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A table on Sunday, when they welcome Bragantino to the Estadio Olimpico Nilton Santos.

On the back of five straight league victories, the hosts sit 10 points clear at the summit of the Brazilian top flight after 14 rounds of fixtures, while their visitors have climbed to sixth spot recently with a strong run of their own.


Match preview

Botafogo's Tiquinho Soares celebrates scoring their first goal on June 25, 2023© Reuters

Following their eye-catching start to the new season, Botafogo now find themselves under new management, having initially enjoyed their best-ever start to a top-flight campaign under the stewardship of Luis Castro, winning seven of their opening eight league outings to establish themselves at the summit of the Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A table on 21 points.

After seeing their momentum halted slightly by a 1-0 defeat away at Athletico Paranaense, the Rio de Janeiro outfit quickly bounced back with three more victories on the bounce, getting past Fortaleza, Cuiaba and Palmeiras, without conceding a single goal, before they were shaken by the departure of Castro for Al-Nassr at the end of June.

Following that exit, Cacapa stepped up to lead Fogo on an interim basis, and they were not derailed, firstly beating Vasco da Gama 2-0 thanks to goals from Luis Henrique and Carlos Alberto, before making it five on the bounce with a victory over Gremio by the same scoreline in their last league outing, as Alberto was again on the scoresheet alongside Carlos Eduardo.

The club hierarchy would then turn to Bruno Lage to take charge earlier in July, and his tenure began with a trip to Patronato in the first leg of their Copa Sudamericana round-of-32 tie on Wednesday, with Fogo scoring another 2-0 triumph to move into a strong position in the tie, courtesy of goals from Alberto and Janderson in the second half.

Now turning their attention back to the domestic top flight, Lage inherits a team who are 10 points clear at the summit having won 12 of their first 14 outings and are on the back of five consecutive league wins and clean sheets, and they will hope to extend that run with another triumph to further improve their position in the pursuit of a first Brasileirao title since 1995.

Red Bull Bragantino coach Pedro Caixinha reacts on July 2, 2023© Reuters

That will be no easy task, though, as the visitors arrive in fine form themselves, having also gone five league games unbeaten and suffered just two top-flight defeats so far this term.

Bragantino did not enjoy the best start to the Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A season, as they managed just one win and seven points from their first six matches, but following four straight draws, they would then put back-to-back victories together in late May, beating Athletico Paranaense and Santos 2-0 each on home turf.

Momentum was again halted by a loss and a draw in two tough trips to Fluminense and Atletico Mineiro respectively, but beginning with the latter stalemate, Pedro Caixinha's side now head into the weekend in a five-match unbeaten run in the league, firstly returning to winning ways with a 4-0 thrashing of second-placed Flamengo thanks to a Henry Mosquera brace and goals from Eduardo Santos and Alerrandro.

The Massa Bruta would then put another pair of victories on the board to make it three in a row, firstly defeating Goias 2-0 before Eduardo Sasha hit the only goal in their trip to Corinthians at the beginning of July.

Now on the back of a goalless draw at home to Sao Paulo, taking their unbeaten streak to five top-flight matches, Bragantino will aim to take another major scalp on Sunday, with the chance to climb from their current spot in sixth up to as high as second place depending on other results.

Botafogo Brasileiro form:


Botafogo form (all competitions):


Bragantino Brasileiro form:


Bragantino form (all competitions):



Team News

Red Bull Bragantino's Eduardo Sasha celebrates scoring their first goal with teammates on July 2, 2023© Reuters

Given the quick turnaround from their Copa Sudamericana game, Botafogo should revert to a similar starting XI to the one that featured against Gremio in their last league outing, and Tiquinho Soares is bound to come back in from the outset and lead the line, having netted a league-high tally of 10 goals in 13 Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A games so far this season, while also contributing four assists.

That could see Janderson drop back to the bench, despite his goal on Wednesday, while Soares may again be supported by the trio of Junior Santos, Carlos Eduardo and Luis Henrique, albeit with Carlos Alberto also having a claim to keep his place on the wing after also scoring against Patronato.

Elsewhere, Marlon Freitas and Tche Tche should reform their partnership at the base of the midfield, while Victor Cuesta and Adryelson remain the preferred centre-back pairing in league action, having been relative mainstays in Brazil's top flight this year.

Bragantino will come into Sunday's game with a similar starting XI from their draw with Sao Paulo last weekend, and Eduardo Sasha should spearhead the attack in a 4-3-3 setup, having managed 11 goals and five assists in 20 appearances across league and Copa Sudamericana matches so far this term.

Caixinha could be forced into one change though, after defender Eduardo Santos was forced off in the 20th minute of that game with an injury concern, and Natan is expected to come in from the start alongside Luan Patrick if Santos is not deemed fit to start.

Lucas Evangelista remains a key man in midfield, and he should again start alongside Matheus Fernandes and Eric Ramires.


Botafogo possible starting lineup:
Perri; Di Placido, Cuesta, Adryelson, Hugo; Freitas, Tche; Santos, Eduardo, Henrique; Soares

Bragantino possible starting lineup:
Schwengber; Jadsom, Patrick, Natan, Capixaba; Evangelista, Fernandes, Ramires; Sorriso, Sasha, Vitinho


SM words green background

We say: Botafogo 2-0 Bragantino

Bragantino will travel with confidence from their positive form in recent weeks, but the hosts have been relentless so far this season and have not let up since the change in management.

We anticipate Fogo again coming out on top on home turf, having shone at both ends of the pitch this year.


For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.


Top tip

Our expert tipster partners at Sporita.com are predicting over 1.5 goals in this match. Click here to find out what else they are predicting for this game and for more of their tried-and-tested football tips.Over 1.5:data


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Game History

How you voted: Botafogo vs Bragantino

Botafogo
70.0%
Draw
25.0%
Bragantino
5.0%
20
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Botafogo's Tiquinho Soares celebrates scoring their first goal on June 25, 2023
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Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Botafogo28176546252157
2PalmeirasPalmeiras28175646202656
3FortalezaFortaleza2916763829955
4FlamengoFlamengo27146743321148
5Sao Paulo2814593830847
6Bahia2813693931845
7InternacionalInternacional27129635241145
8Cruzeiro29127103529643
9Vasco da GamaVasco27106113137-636
10Atletico Mineiro269983638-236
11Gremio28105133235-335
12CriciumaCriciuma2998123642-635
13BragantinoBragantino2889113438-433
14JuventudeJuventude2889113238-633
15Athletico ParanaenseAthletico PR2687112730-331
16Fluminense2886142230-830
17Vitoria2884163042-1228
18Corinthians28610122736-928
19Cuiaba2758142339-1623
20Atletico GoianienseAtletico GO2956182247-2521


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