Hovering over today's lovely Brasileiro Série A face-off, we have the feisty Internacional going head to head with the temperate Vasco. Given the variety of the potluck, this is anyone's game, unless you've got a crystal ball somewhere in your back pocket.
Let's talk goalkeepers, shall we? Vasco's marital Arts-trained spider, Léo Jardim, has been pretty impressive with a 7.07 rating, showing that he's got wings instead of arms, saving 25 shots. Meanwhile, Internacional trusts their sanctuary to Fabricio. The guy's been more than just a handsome face with a 7.27 rating and 21 saves.
Vasco is betting its luck with players such as Pablo Vegetti and Lucas Piton, both operating with admirable ratings. Vegetti has shown his ware with 2 goals and 9 shots on the target, truly a threat that he poses, while Lucas has been busy breaking geometry laws with an 84.4 accurate passing percentage.
Over in the Internacional roster, they've got a couple of aces up their sleeves too, I'm talking about Wesley with a 7.50 rating, 2 goals, 6 shots on target and Renê, posting a 7.40 rating. He might not have a goal, but we know who's been feeding the hawk-eyes.
Looking at their previous tête-à-têtes, they've had a couple of flirty encounters. Internacional won both their previous duels, but by a whisper of a margin—no clean sheets there.
As for regular season records, Internacional's finally found their groove with 5 wins, 4 draws, and 3 losses while Vasco seems to be playing hide and seek with success, mothballing 4 wins, 2 draws, and 8 losses.
Their recent performances have been a belly dance of sorts. Vasco tripped over a handful of pebbles, including a draw and a loss, while tasting victory only twice. Internacional, on the other hand, tied twice but also savored victory twice and had their cheeks colored with a loss.
And well, given how the stars align today, I'd say Internacional seems to have greased their wheels better for this game. Their goalkeepers are shining, their top players are flaunting flamboyant stats, and the previous skirmishes favor them too.
Albert’s Prediction: Internacional by 1