Aiming to avoid a giant killing of the highest order, Athletico Paranaense will welcome third-tier outfit Ypiranga Erechim to Ligga Arena on Saturday evening for the second leg of their Copa do Brasil third-round tie.
The Hurricane are one goal behind following a shock result during the first meeting on May 1, when the Little Canary produced one of the most outstanding results in their humble history.
Match preview
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Since the first leg of this third-round clash at Estadio Olimpico Colosso da Lagoa on May 1, there has been plenty of change at Athletico Paranaense, most notably in the managerial hotseat, with former boss Cuca being replaced by ex-Deportivo La Coruna coach Juca at the end of June.
During the early stages of his stint in charge of the Hurricane, the 44-year-old has overseen a run of two victories and three defeats in the Brasileiro, with his side's struggles at home continuing during the defeat to title-chasing Bahia on Wednesday night in Parana.
Goals inside the opening 20 minutes of the contest from Everaldo and Gabriel Teixeira handed Rogerio Ceni's troops a massive advantage at Ligga Arena, and despite a second-period strike from Lucas Di Yorio, a third of the evening for Bahia from Luciano soon after confirmed the destination of the points.
The Hurricane have considerable and recent pedigree in the Copa do Brasil, winning the competition for the first time just five years ago in 2019, when a Paranaense side containing Newcastle United and Brazil star Bruno Guimaraes were victorious over Internacional in the two-legged final.
Just a single point behind sixth-placed Cruzeiro in the race for a Copa Libertadores spot, Athletico Paranaense are major players in the Brazilian top flight, meaning that it would be a serious shock if they were dumped out of the Copa do Brasil at the first hurdle this weekend.
After battling through the first and second round of the competition earlier in the year with one-off successes over River AC and Porto Velho, Ypiranga Erechim were given their reward in early May, a glamour tie against top-tier Athletico Paranaense, and the first leg between the two sides included a fairytale finish for the underdogs.
A first-half goal from the Hurricane's Agustin Canobbio threatened to quickly turn the two-legged clash into a formality for the Brasileiro outfit, but a pair of added-time strikes from Mateus Anderson and Fabricio mean that the third-tier side are in control of the tie ahead of this weekend.
Since that historic win on the first day of May, Thiago Carvalho's men have endured a mixed run of form in Serie C, winning three, drawing one and losing three of their seven league fixtures, leaving them as occupants of ninth position in a 20-team division, although the Little Canary have played at least one game fewer than all of their rivals.
Ypiranga have struggled considerably on the road over recent months, losing three of their last four away matches and netting only once in the process, with the Copa do Brasil surprise package suffering a 2-0 defeat at Confianca last weekend due to strikes from Andre Lima and Vico.
It is not shocking to know that this weekend's meeting between Athletico Paranaense and Ypiranga will be only the second between the two clubs, with the Little Canary having a unique opportunity to maintain a 100% record against the Hurricane.
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Team News
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Athletico Paranaense have been without the services of first-choice goalkeeper Bento Krepski for over a month, with the 25-year-old spending time away on international duty with Brazil at Copa America.
The Hurricane will be unable to call upon the talents of four-goal striker Gonzalo Mastriani, who picked up a muscle injury during the loss at Cruzeiro on June 27.
The hosts' options at the top end of the pitch are further restricted by the absence of winger Nikao, with the Sao Paulo loanee nursing a thigh issue.
Looking to emulate the success of the first leg, Ypiranga should largely remain faithful to the starting XI fielded on May 1, meaning that Fernando Fonseca and Mendonca should stay as the centre-back pairing.
That being said, both of the Little Canary's added-time goals were netted by substitutes, so attackers such as Edson Carius and Reifit could be relegated to the bench.
Athletico Paranaense possible starting lineup:
Linck; Madson, Heleno, Gamarra, Fernando; Zapelli, Fernandinho, Cardoso; Pabio, Julimar, Di Yorio
Ypiranga Erechim possible starting lineup:
Lucena; Gedeilson, Fonseca, Mendonca, Willian; Caio, Uchoa, Ribeiro, Alisson; Anderson, Fabricio
We say: Athletico Paranaense 3-0 Ypiranga Erechim (Athletico Paranaense win 4-2 on aggregate)
Over two months after an embarrassing first-leg defeat, Atletico Paranaense should be a different beast on home soil and desperate to overturn a deficit in order to reach the fourth round.
Hardly convincing in the third tier recently, Ypiranga will need a perfect performance combined with plenty of luck to advance on Saturday evening, a mixture that we are struggling to envisage.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Carter White
