Botafogo RJ will aim for their fifth consecutive home win on Saturday when they host Cruzeiro at Estadio Nilton Santos in Round 20 of the Brazilian Serie A.
Cruzeiro enters the match unbeaten in their last 12 games against Botafogo in all competitions since September 2016, looking to extend this dominant streak. This includes a 3-2 victory at the Mineirao on the opening day of the new season (April 14), when Rafael Elias' last-gasp winner secured the three points for Fernando Seabra's men.
Having finished fifth in 2023, even though they were at the top of the table for significant parts of the campaign, Botafogo collapsed in the second half of the season and is now looking to prove they're more consistent since the appointment of Portuguese head coach Artur Jorge.
Under Artur Jorge's guidance, Botafogo has collected 40 points after 12 wins and four draws in 19 top-flight games, placing them at the top of the Brasileirao table, three points ahead of second-placed Flamengo, who have a game in hand, and four points above defending champions Palmeiras. However, Fogo faces a tough challenge against Cruzeiro, having failed to beat them in their last 12 meetings, with four defeats and eight draws between them since Botafogo's 2-0 victory in September 2016.
Botafogo was held to a 2-2 draw by a resilient Sao Paulo side on Wednesday evening at Estadio do Morumbi. Tiquinho Soares and Cuiabano scored within 11 minutes to overturn Lucas Moura's early opener, but Aldemir Ferreira's 69th-minute equalizer ensured a share of the points. This result extended Botafogo's unbeaten run to eight games, with six wins and two draws since their 2-1 loss to Criciuma last month.
Artur Jorge often switches between a 4-2-3-1 and 4-4-2 formation, so it's yet to be seen how the Portuguese tactician will line up his table-toppers on Saturday.
Botafogo will be without Gatito Fernandez and the new signing Thiago Almada, away at the Olympic Games in Paris with Paraguay and Argentina, respectively. Furthermore, Rafael da Silva (knee), Carlos Eduardo (thigh), and Junior Santos (ankle) are sidelined due to injuries. Jeffinho and 33-year-old defender Pablo are also ruled out for Botafogo RJ, recovering from knee and thigh injuries.
The Raposa returned to winning ways with a 2-0 win over 10-man Juventude at the Estadio Mineirao midweek. In a match in which Ze Marcos of Juventude was sent off late, former Schalke and Wolfsburg right-back William converted from the penalty spot just before the break, and Argentine forward Juan Dinenno secured Cruzeiro's victory with an 87th-minute penalty-his first Serie A goal for the club.
This victory came after Cruzeiro's three-game winning streak was snapped by a 2-0 defeat to reigning champions Palmeiras on July 21 at Allianz Parque, with goals from Jose Lopez and Gabriel Merino. Fernando Seabra's men have accumulated 32 points from 18 matches, sitting fifth in the table, level on points with sixth-placed Sao Paulo, but with a game in hand.
While Cruzeiro boasts the best home record in the Brazilian Serie A, with eight wins in eight games at Estadio Mineirao, its away form has been lackluster. It has won just one of its last seven away matches, losing five and drawing one since the start of June.
Fernando Seabra will be without 32-year-old forward Rafa Silva, who has beensidelined since sustaining a thigh injury against Vasco da Gama on June 16. Gabriel Veron, who missed the game against Juventude after getting injured versus Palmeiras on July 21, remains a major doubt for this weekend's clash.
Ze Ivaldo picked up his sixth yellow card of the campaign and will serve a suspension, so Lucas Villalba is set to start alongside Joao Marcelo at center-back.
Cruzeiro must be their best on Saturday as they face a Botafogo side on a four-game winning streak at home. The hosts have been unbeaten in their last seven home matches across all competitions since an unexpected 2-1 loss to Bahia in early May.
Despite Cruzeiro's unbeaten run against Botafogo over the past years, their recent struggles on the road suggest a tough challenge. With that said, Botafogo's strong home form (7-1-1 record) makes them favorites to secure the desired result in tonight's clash.
