Athletico Paranaense vs Fortaleza: Will the Red and Black top the Serie A standings?

In the ninth round of the Brazilian Football Championship, Athletico Paranaense will play against Fortaleza. Both teams are in the Libertadores Cup qualification zone but not in the top group in the current Championship. If Athlético Paranaense wins on Sunday, it will overtake Bragantino and become the leader of the championship again, although not necessarily for more than 24 hours.

In the second half of June, Athletico Paranaense played four matches in Serie A. During this period, the Red and Black lost against Bahia, drew with Chapecoense, and achieved two victories over Fluminense and Atletico Go. These results put the Red and Blacks in second place in the standings, with an asset of 16 points. Athletico Paranaense is two points behind Bragantino, the leader of the championship. Plus, let's not forget that Athletico Paranaense has one game in hand. Their home statistics are only eighth in the division, but they are ahead of, among others, the leading Santos.

Since June 18, Fortaleza played five matches in the Brazilian championship, winning only once during this period, although in the last round over Chapecoense, which more recently, Atletico Paranaense failed to beat. In addition to this win, Fortaleza drew with Atletico GO, Fluminense, and Gremio, and lost to Flamengo 1-2. The results are quite moderate, but nevertheless, the Tricolores are in the zone of qualifying into the Libertadores Cup, in fourth place. So far, the current season for Fortaleza can be called a success. It is unlikely that before the start of the draw there were many experts who were on the side of the Tricolor.

To begin with, Fortaleza is a convenient opponent for Athlético Paranaense. The last four head-to-head encounters in two tournaments have been won by the Red and Blacks. Let us continue with the fact that Athletico Paranaense performs very well on their field historically and specifically, in the current season. We should not forget that in case of winning tomorrow's match, the Athletico will lead the division again. Here are the following betting variants: W1 for 2.15, TU (2.5) for 1.53, Both Teams To Score - No for 1.727.