Time to hunker down, sports fans, for a Brasileiro Série A faceoff against Vitória and Cuiabá. And by hunker down, I mean grab your popcorn, not your shields and helmets.
In the goalkeeper corner, we have Lucas Arcanjo for Vitória with a 6.63 rating and 17 saves. For Cuiabá, it's Walter standing his ground with a 7.08 rating and an identical number of saves. You’d almost think they were twins, if only they were on the same team.
Onto the main players. No mysterious information gaps this time, hallelujah.
For Vitória, there's Alerrandro right at the top with a 7.15 rating, 3 goals, and a vague sense he forgot some of his passing lessons with a 70.9 accurate pass %. There's also Lucas Esteves, with a rating of 7.13, supporting the repertoire with 1 goal. Can’t forget Matheuzinho, sneaking around with a 7.10 rating and continuing the tally at 1 goal.
Jumping over to Cuiabá, we've got Fernando Sobral with a rating of 7.24, no goals but his teacher would be proud of his 79.5 accurate pass %. Denilson's near his tail with a 7.22 rating, 2 shots on target and not a goal in sight. Good-looking passing, though. Isidro Pitta, however, hasn't forgotten what the net looks like with 3 goals and a 7.04 rating.
The last head-to-head was as exciting as a deflated balloon, ending in a thrilling 0-0 draw. The regular season has had them at each other's throats with Vitória on 5-3-12 and Cuibá struggling behind at 4-5-9.
A peep through the magic 8-ball into recent form suggests the two haven't been setting the pitch on fire. The only one getting scorched is probably their fans' hopes.
Given what we've got, my prediction is as solid as a house on marshmallows. However, accounting for the gravity of Mars and phases of the moon, my prediction is:
Albert’s Prediction: Vitória by 1