Botafogo faces Athletico-PR looking to extend its advantage in the Brasileirão
On Saturday (21), Botafogo, the isolated leader of the Brazilian Championship, welcomes Athletico-PR at home, at the Nilton Santos Stadium. With 58 points, Glorioso has the chance to further increase its advantage in the table in case of victory. The Rio team arrives for the clash after two victories as a visitor.
On the other hand, Furacão, who returned to sixth place in the tournament after beating Grêmio 2-1, will be determined to win the three points on the field. The match between Botafogo and Athletico will be broadcast live on Rádio Nacional, with narration by André Marques, comments by Waldir Luiz and reporting by Rafael Monteiro.
Botafogo in good shape after change in technical command
Botafogo found its best form after the dismissal of coach Bruno Lage at the beginning of the month. Under the command of Lúcio Flávio, the club's former midfielder, the team achieved two consecutive victories: 2-0 over Fluminense at Maracanã and 2-1 against América-MG away from home.
One of the highlights of the black and white squad is striker Júnior Santos, who scored the goals in the last two victories. In addition to scoring, the player has also stood out in marking.
For this Saturday's game, coach Lúcio Flávio will once again be able to count on midfielder Tchê Tchê and left-back Marçal, who were suspended in the last match. The expectation is that Glorioso will enter the field with Lucas Perri, Di Plácido, Adryelson, Cuesta and Marçal; Tchê Tchê, Marlon Freitas, Júnior Santos, Eduardo and Victor Sá; Tiquinho Soares.
Athletico-PR seeks to get closer to the G4
Athletico-PR, with 44 points in the table, is looking for a victory to get even closer to the G4, which guarantees classification for next year's Copa Libertadores. This season, Furacão has already beaten Botafogo twice: 3-2 in the first game of the round of 16 of the Copa do Brasil, and 1-0 in the first round of the Brasileirão.
However, the team led by coach Wesley Carvalho will have important absences, such as Uruguayan striker Agustín Canobbio, suspended for having received his third yellow card in the last round. Athletico-PR's likely lineup is: Bento, Cacá, Thiago Heleno and Kaique Rocha; Cuello, Erick, Fernandinho and Esquivel; Vitor Bueno, Zapelli and Pablo.
* Collaboration by Pedro Dabés (intern) under the supervision of Paulo Garritano.
