Battling for CONMEBOL Libertadores qualification in the Brasileiro, defending champions Botafogo will welcome promoted club Ceara to Estadio Nilton Santos on Wednesday.

Fogo are looking to make it three wins on the bounce this weekend, while Vozao will be keen to get back on track after consecutive losses.

Match preview

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Renato Paiva's Botafogo may have been eliminated from the Copa do Brasil on May 23, but that was their only defeat over their last seven matches, a spell that also includes five wins and one draw.

On Sunday, Fogo started June with a 1-0 victory on the road to struggling Santos, and the manager will have been pleased to see his team take advantage when Artur secured all three points after Neymar was sent off.

That triumph has Paiva's side ninth in the table with 15 points from their 10 league games, leaving them five above 17th-placed Fortaleza in the drop zone and three short of sixth-placed Bahia.

Wednesday's hosts will be hoping to reach the Libertadores spots with another victory, and having recorded five straight wins - and gone eight unbeaten - at Estadio Nilton Santos ahead of this clash, they will be confident of achieving a positive result.

If 2024's champions can continue their excellent form on their own turf in midweek, then they could leapfrog Atletico Mineiro, Mirassol and Bahia to make the top six on goal difference, though defeat would give their rivals the chance to drop them down to 13th.

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Meanwhile, Leo Conde's Ceara started May by earning seven points from a possible nine, but after following that stretch up with back-to-back losses, they will be hoping to resume their climb up the table.

Last time out, Vozao compounded the disappointment of being knocked out of the cup in a 3-0 loss against Palmeiras with a 1-0 defeat on their own turf at the hands of Atletico-MG, and the boss will be frustrated by the fact his team registered six more shots than their opponents yet lost out to a 78th-minute strike from Rony.

Dropping three points on Sunday saw Conde's men slip down to 10th, where they are level on 15 points with 12th-placed Gremio, 11th-placed Corinthians and their ninth-placed opponents.

However, with a dire travelling record of four losses and two draws from their last six on the road, the visitors will be hard-pressed to keep up with their rivals in the Libertadores race this week, especially considering that they have failed to score in their three most recent away games.

A first win beyond their own ground for the promoted side this term would be enough to lift them above Botafogo and into the top six in a best-case scenario, but defeat is likely to cause them to fall behind the rest of the pack.

Team News

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Botafogo manager Paiva has a mostly fit squad to choose from, but winger Matheus Martins, who has been out with a hamstring injury since April 27, is a doubt.

If he is unavailable, Artur and Allan should start out wide once again after left-flankman Cuiabano missed out against Santos, and the duo are likely to be supporting striker Rwan Cruz and attacking midfielder Jefferson Savarinho.

As for Ceara, they have a fully fit group ready for the trip to Estadio Nilton Santos, so expect to see centre-forward Pedro Raul backed up by Antonio Galeano and Pedro Henrique.

In the middle of the park, Fernando Sobral and Dieguinho will be looking to provide some stability, while attacking midfielder Lucas Mugni operates ahead of them.

Elsewhere, Marllon should captain the visitors from the heart of Conde's backline, while Fabiano Souza and Nicolas provide overlapping runs from full-back.

Botafogo possible starting lineup:
John; Vitinho, Jair, Ricardo, Telles; Gregore, Freitas; Artur, Savarino, Allan; Cruz

Ceara possible starting lineup:
Miguel; Souza, Marllon, Machado, Nicolas; Sobral, Dieguinho; Galeano, Mugni, Henrique; Raul

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We say: Botafogo 2-0 Ceara

Botafogo are in strong form having bounced back from their cup exit with back-to-back victories, and they will be confident of taking all three points this week.

Adding to this feeling will be Fogo's excellent home record, which contrasts starkly with Ceara's six-game winless run on the road.


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