TEAM NEWS
This week Sport Recife have a good number of players returning to their team and with defender Matheus Ferraz back from suspension and midfielder Rodrigo Mancha and striker Ruiz fully recovered, they will miss only forward Tulio de Melo.
As for Sao Paulo, they didn’t recover any of their players in time for this round. In fact, they are going to miss a new player this time – center back Lyanco, who joined their medical department during the week.
Sport Recife
Suspended: None
Doubtful: None
Injured/unavailable: Tulio de Melo (thigh)
Sao Paulo
Suspended: None
Doubtful: None
Injured/unavailable: Breno (knee), Lucas Fernandes (thigh), Lyanco (thigh), Wellington (knee), Ytalo (thigh)
MATCH PREVIEW
With only one win in the last four rounds and coming from a 3-1 away loss to Fluminense after they had the lead in the match, Sport Recife are getting close to the relegation zone again and are now placed only two points above it.
Sao Paulo are not that far ahead of them and even though they held Flamengo goalless last weekend, the 0-0 at home was far from a positive result and they are now two points above Sport Recife.
With both sides fighting against relegation, even though we won’t see much quality in this game, we can expect a lot of effort from both sides, and although Sao Paulo are the bigger team here, they are under more pressure from their fans and critics for that very same reason and that makes things harder for the visitors, who should come back home after losing this game with a low score.
Head To Head
The sides drew 0-0 when they met in Sao Paulo earlier in the season. Sport have won their last 2 home games against Sao Paulo.
Stats
Sao Paulo average just 0.96 goals per game this season in the Brazilian Serie A. Sport Recife games average 2.93 goals in total.
Team News
Rodney Wallace is away with Costa Rica so Rene should play at left-back. Striker Luís Carlos Ruiz is still an injury doubt.
Sao Paulo have problems in midfield with Wesley suspended and Christian Cueva away with Peru. Maicon may come in for Diego Lugano at the back.
