If we're talking Botafogo vs. Cuiabá, there's a few names that can't help but roll off the tongue. Let's start with those goalkeepers. For Botafogo, there's the ever-reliable John Victor, securing a decent 7.10 rating and 22 saves in the bag. Swivel the spotlight over to Cuiabá, and there stands Walter, outperforming his counterpart with a 7.55 rating and 38 saves.
Botafogo sees some solid players on the field. Bastos, for one, with a 7.33 rating, 3 goals and an accurate pass percentage of standing ovation worthy 89%. Marçal and Marlon Freitas, not too shabby either, racking up ratings of 7.50 and 7.30 respectively even without having them ball-into-net snapshots.
For Cuiabá, Ramon and Marllon are the ones to watch out for. Ramon with a 7.24 rating and 2 goals, and Marllon not too far behind with a 7.17 rating and 1 goal to his name.
Reflecting on the past matchups, both teams have notched one victory apiece – low scoring affairs at 1-0. The Regular Season Records though, that's where Botafogo holds an edge with a 7-3-3 record compared to Cuiabá's more-improvement-needed 3-4-6 record.
Forays into the recent results reveal a status quo of sorts. Botafogo seems to be holding their ground, tallying up quite a few draws and wins in their recent roster. Cuiabá have been unable to find consistent form, meanwhile, but their demolishing of Fortaleza 5-0 could be a sign of something brewing.
Now, to place our bets. Let me remind you, I'm an obnoxious sports commentator and not a fortuneteller, but my guts and these stats are telling me it's gonna be:
Albert’s Prediction: Botafogo by 1