Cruzeiro vs Athletico-PR Prediction: The Mineiros continue to fight for survival

A goal from Robert in the 96th minute gave Cruzeiro a crucial victory against direct opponent Goiás. The team jumped to 14th place with the result, but the distance to the relegation zone is just three points. Cruzeiro will face title challengers in the last two rounds of the league, namely Botafogo and Palmeiras, so it is essential to win this game with Athletico Paranaense.

Since Paulo Autuori, the club's technical director, also took on the coach role, the Fox has scored seven points out of a possible nine, reviving hope among the fans. The team is more confident under the coach who led Botafogo to the Brasileirão title in 1995. Cruzeiro and Athletico drew 3-3 at the Ligga Arena in a great football game in the first half of the season. A new draw this time would be a disappointing result for the Mineiros, who need the three points.

The Hurricane has drawn its last three matches and has not won in six games, occupying eighth place in the table. It will be difficult for the Paranaenses to reach the sixth place, which gives access to the Copa Libertadores qualifying phase. Athletico is, however, very close to guaranteeing its presence in the Copa Sudamericana, with three more points needed to do so. Vitor Roque, the team's star, played a few minutes in the last round, in the 0-0 draw with Vasco da Gama, but is still looking for the best form after his prolonged injury.

It's not easy to predict the winner as it has everything to be a very balanced game. This last phase of the Brasileirão has been rich in surprises, and it has invariably happened that a team in good form loses to a team in worse form. There are a lot of matches with little rest time and a lot of flights. I'm going to bet on a Double Chance for Athletico Paranaense because I think Cruzeiro's players will be very nervous and may not be at their best.