Ah, Cruzeiro vs Grêmio, a classic Brasileiro Série A matchup.
When it comes to netkeepers, naturally, they're as crucial to the game as the air in the ball. For Grêmio, we have Tiago Volpi protecting the sacred net - a guy who has a solid 6.50 rating and 2 fantastic saves. Cruzeiro, on the flip side, has Cássio between the posts, a fella who brandishes a 7.30 rating and just as many saves. Clearly, Cássio has been a bit more reliable.
In terms of players to keep an eyeball on, we have for Grêmio - Alysson, the midfielder with an 8.00 rating who has been been accurate in his passing. Martin Braithwaite has been pulling his weight with a 7.50 rating and a goal to his name. Cristian Pavón too, has been holding his own.
On Cruzeiro's side of the field, we see Lucas Villalba with a strong 7.70 rating. Not exactly peppering the goal with shots, but still seems to be playing a decent game. William and Fabrício Bruno also stand out with 7.50 ratings apiece.
Historically, these teams have had some close calls, with the last two matchups ending in a 1-1 draw and a 2-0 victory to Cruzeiro.
And peeking into their regular season records, Cruzeiro has been sitting pretty with 7 wins, 3 draws, and 2 losses, while Grêmio has been a bit more of a mixed bag with 4 wins, 4 draws and 4 losses.
Taking a look at recent results, Grêmio has been a bit stale with its scoring, drawing with Corinthians, and scraping 2-0 wins against Juventude and Bahia. Cruzeiro on the other hand, has been a more prolific with a 2-1 victory against Palmeiras and a 4-0 thumping of Sport Recife.
Based on these facts and my professional intuition, folks, it's time for the prediction of the day.
Albert’s Prediction: Cruzeiro by 1