Fresh from their Club World Cup campaign, Botafogo will be looking to make an instant impact in the Brazilian Serie A as they prepare to take on Vasco da Gama in Rio de Janeiro this Saturday.

While Botafogo have been busy hitting the headlines for both right and wrong reasons, Vasco are still searching for some consistency following a string of mixed results.

Match preview

We are just 12 games into the new season, but it is clear that Vasco are heading for another tough year, with the club struggling to get results.

On one hand, things are not looking all that gloomy with the club placed 13th in the standings. On the other, only one team in the competition has suffered more defeats than Vasco’s seven.

Just before Serie A went into its month-long hibernation, Gigante da Colina appeared to make a breakthrough as they defeated Sao Paulo 3-1 away from home – their first away victory, which ended a run of five straight league losses on the road.

More good news arrived just a few days later as the club announced the permanent signing of former Liverpool and Barcelona star Philippe Coutinho, who was already a loanee at his boyhood club.

With positivity flowing through Vasco at the moment, Fernando Diniz and his men will be hoping to keep the good news coming as they look to win back-to-back league games for the first time this season.

On paper, facing Botafogo appears like a tough challenge considering the club have won three of their last four league games and are unbeaten since early May. Then again, this may be the best time to play O Glorioso, with the club entering a period of chaos following their participation at the Club World Cup.

Botafogo travelled to the United States and stunned the competition by beating Champions League conquerors Paris Saint-Germain – handing the French side their first loss in over a month.

The high of beating arguably the best team on the planet did not last long, with the club going out of the competition just eight days later following a last 16 stage defeat to Palmeiras. However, that was just the beginning of their issues.

The 1-0 defeat proved to be Renato Paiva’s final game in charge of the club, with owner John Textor sacking the manager after he allegedly refused to let the American businessman interfere with team selection.

The club moved quickly to find a replacement, appointing Davide Ancelotti – the son of Carlo Ancelotti - on a contract until December 2026.

Taking on his first senior managerial job is a big enough task without outside distractions. That is not a luxury that Davide can afford, considering his father has just hit the headlines after being sentenced to one year in prison over tax fraud.

Vasco da Gama Brasileiro form:

Vasco da Gama form (all competitions):

Botafogo Brasileiro form:

Botafogo form (all competitions):

Team News

Vasco remain without two key names in David and Guilherme Estrella, who are both sidelined with injuries and are expected to be out of action until late July.

Coutinho, fresh from signing a permanent contract, could miss out due to a muscle problem. Paulinho, meanwhile, suffered with a virus last time out but could make his comeback this Saturday.

With a new manager at the helm, Botafogo could make a few changes as they enter a new era under Ancelotti.

Unfortunately for the new manager, he also has a number of injuries to contend with, including Jeffinho’s meniscus problem, which is expected to keep him out for some time.

Bastos and Leo Linck are also recovering from knee and shoulder injuries and will now be available for selection.

Vasco da Gama possible lineup: Jardim; Victor, Maicon, Luís, Henrique; Pedro, Moura, Estrella; Moreira, Vegetti, Rayan

Botafogo possible lineup: John; Telles, Ricardo, Barboza, Vitinho; Rodríguez, Savarino, Gregore; Freitas, Cabral, Artur.

We say: Vasco da Gama 2-1 Botafogo

Getting rid of a manager who masterminded a victory over PSG sounds like a brave strategy from Botafogo.

Settling into his new job will not be easy for Ancelotti, and we are backing Vasco to take full advantage of their unsettled opponents.

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

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