Juventude have the opportunity to leapfrog Sao Paulo when they host Hernan Crespo's side on Sunday, while remaining with one game in hand on their opponents.
Sao Paulo currently sit in the last Copa Sudamericana position in the Brasileiro, but Juventude are only one point behind in 13th.
Match preview
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Marquinhos Santos's side have recorded a mixed set of results in recent games, winning just two matches in their last eight domestic outings.
On Sunday, third-placed Fortaleza travelled to the Estadio Alfredo Jaconi, and after the home side fell behind to Marcelo Conceicao's strike for the visitors, new signing Ricardo Bueno earned a point for Juventude with his first goal for the club.
Juventude won their first away game of the season against Red Bull Bragantino, a week prior to that game thanks to a four-minute brace from Wagner late in the second half.
The 36-year-old's double was the first time Juventude had scored two goals in one game since the beginning of July, and their low tally in front of goal is a big factor as to why the team find themselves just outside the Copa Sudamericana positions.
Of the 13 Brasileiro goals Santos's side have scored so far, none of them have come from a corner or free kick, which has limited Juventude to fewer chances.
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Sao Paulo's schedule has been filled up in recent weeks as the side have competed in the Copa Libertadores and the Copa do Brasil, alongside their domestic fixtures.
However, their Copa Libertadores campaign was ended by fellow Brazilian outfit Palmeiras, who won the tie 4-1 across both legs of the quarter-final.
Their last outing came in the Copa do Brasil and Sao Paulo ended up coming away from that game disappointed, as they held a two-goal lead until six minutes from time, only to allow Fortaleza back into the tie with two late goals, and they now go into the second leg with the scoreline all square.
In the Brasileiro, Crespo's side extended their winning run to three games on Monday, the first time they have won three consecutive league games this season, with victory over Sport Recife.
Pablo found the back of the net inside the first five minutes of that game, and the match would go on to conclude 1-0 after neither side created many big chances.
Like Juventude, Sao Paulo have not scored many goals this season compared to the teams above them, suggesting that the game on Sunday is likely to be a low-scoring affair.
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Team News
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Juventude attacker Wescley was forced to come off at half time against Red Bull Bragantino with an ankle injury, and that is going to rule him out of this weekend's fixture also. Wagner is likely to come into the starting 11 in Wescley's absence.
Midfielder Elton suffered a knee injury towards the end of July, which has ruled him out for the rest of the season, giving loanee Dawhan more of an opportunity to play.
After netting his first goal for the club in their last outing, Bueno will be keen to add to his tally again and he is certain to start for Juventude on Sunday.
Sao Paulo midfielder Liziero picked up his third yellow card in their last Brasileiro match which means that he will serve his one-match suspension this weekend. Luan Santos could replace him in the starting lineup.
William da Silva, Robert Arboleda and Welington will all be unavailable for Crespo until at least the beginning of September, while Marquinhos and Walce are closer to a return but will not be ready to play against Juventude.
Juventude possible starting lineup:
Carne; Matheus, Didi, Mendes, Michel; Dawhan, Jesus; Capixaba, Wagner, Paulinho; Bueno
Sao Paulo possible starting lineup:
Volpi; Leo, Miranda, Bruno Alves, Dani Alves; Reinaldo, Santos, Nestor; Rigoni, Pablo, Benitez
We say: Juventude 1-1 Sao Paulo
The opportunity for Juventude to go two points ahead of Sao Paulo, with one game in hand remaining, is something the home side must try to capitalise on if they want to finish the season in a Copa Sudamericana position.
However, both teams have not been free flowing in front of goal this season which means that Sunday's fixture may be a tight affair, and neither side is expected to have enough attacking prowess to outscore their opponents.
Top tip
Data Analysis
Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a Sao Paulo win with a probability of 45.1%. A draw had a probability of 27.7% and a win for Juventude had a probability of 27.19%.
The most likely scoreline for a Sao Paulo win was 0-1 with a probability of 13.29%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 0-2 (8.88%) and 1-2 (8.63%). The likeliest drawn scoreline was 1-1 (12.91%), while for a Juventude win it was 1-0 (9.66%). The actual scoreline of 1-1 was predicted with a 12.9% likelihood.
