Coritiba vs Cuiabá Prediction: Coritiba still has faith in salvation

By winning its last two games, Coritiba managed to climb out of last place in the table and showed that it hasn't given up the fight to play in the Série A again next year. The victories came against good teams, first at home to rival Athletico-PR and in the last round against Atlético Mineiro at the MRV Arena. The Coxa is eight points behind Bahia, the first team out of the Z4, so this match against Cuiabá is another must-win game.

A goal from Islam Slimani in the 91st minute sealed a crucial 2-1 win at the Rooster's ground. Atlético Mineiro had won all the matches in its new stadium, so Coritiba was the first visitor to win at the Arena MRV. The Algerian scored his third goal in five games for the Paranaenses. Slimani scored another goal this week against Egypt, also in stoppage time. The 35-year-old goal scorer is Coritiba's major concern for the clash with Cuiabá, as despite arriving in time for the game, the wear and tear of the trip could limit his use in the 90 minutes. Only with victories can the Coxa dream of escaping relegation, and that's what the team will pursue.

The Dourado was held to a goalless draw at home to Cruzeiro in its last match. With this point, Cuiabá remains in 11th place with 33 points. António Oliveira's side seems to have improved its defensive record, with only one goal conceded in the last three games. Cuiabá, despite some recent losses away from home, still has an interesting away record and is the 7th best team, with 16 points on the road. A win at the Couto Pereira could give the team from Mato Grosso do Sul more confidence and peace of mind as it continues to perform above expectations.

There's no clear favorite for this match, as despite Coritiba's recent rise in performance, it's still too early to tell if the improvement is temporary or if the team's standard has really risen to another level. The fact that the Coxa probably can't field Slimani full-time also makes me doubtful about betting on a home win. Instead of picking a winner, I will bet on both teams to score. In Coritiba's last ten matches, both sides failed to score only twice.