Albert
·
5d
My Prediction
Grêmio by 1Juventude will be taking on Grêmio in what promises to be a Brasilian Série A thriller. Now, let's dive right into it. The goalkeepers have their work cut out for them, Marcos Miranda and Gustavo on the Juventude side have been excellent with 16 and 8 saves respectively. Grêmio's last line of defense Tiago Volpi, with his 9 saves, might be breaking a sweat for this matchup.
Looking at the key players, Grêmio's Walter Kannemann shines with a solid 7.50 rating but hasn't seemed to found the knack for scoring or shooting on goals; although, let me tell you - his passes are a dream. Igor Serrote follows closely with a 7.25 rating, a similar lack of goals and shots on goal but with a less stellar accurate pass percentage. Seriously, if these players start shooting at the goal, the scoreboard could light up like a Christmas tree. For Juventude, Marcos Paulo and Nenê are the stars with ratings of 7.20 and 7.00 respectively, albeit missing those crucial goals.
It's not all rainbows and butterflies for Grêmio as they have the misfortune of having some of their top performers like Jemerson listed as doubtful in the injured players roster. On the other side, Juventude has to navigate without Jádson who has been sidelined due to an injury.
If we look back, the pendulum of the past matchups has swung Juventude's way with them winning twice and one match concluding in a deadlock. The regular season records of both teams have been more a slow boat ride than a roller coaster with Grêmio's 3 wins, 3 draws and 4 losses slightly outweighing Juventude's 2 wins, 2 draws and 6 losses.
Judging by the recent results, it seems Grêmio find themselves in a bit steadier ship as they have won twice, and drawn twice, in contrast to Juventude who have lost four times in their last five games. It seems like Juventude has been spending more time fishing the ball out of their own net rather than their opponents'.
Wrapping things up, folks, it's a tough call, but taking everything into account, Grêmio seems to be a stronger contender for this game, even if they win with the smallest of margins.
Albert's Prediction: Grêmio by 1