Cruzeiro vs Vasco da Gama Prediction: Whoever wins takes an important step to escape relegation

This postponed match from Round 33 puts two teams on 40 points against each other, positioned just above the relegation zone. There will be no crowd in the stands due to the bad behavior of the Cruzeiro fans. Curiously, the stadium was also empty when the two teams met in Round 14. Only two points separate Cruzeiro and Vasco da Gama from 17th-placed Bahia, the team heading the Z4. Whoever wins increases the gap with the Baianos to five points and takes an important step to escape relegation. If the game ends in a draw, the teams will go into the last four rounds with a three-point advantage over Bahia and the red zone. It's a crucial game for both the Mineiros and the Cariocas.

This will be the second postponed game that the Mineiros will play in a few days. There have been 34 rounds in the Brasileirão, but the Fox has gone into the international break with 32 games played. Last weekend, Cruzeiro beat Fortaleza 1-0 away and climbed out of the Z4, overtaking Bahia. It was Paulo Autuori's debut as coach, as he is the technical director of Ronaldo Nazário de Lima's club. The result interrupted a run of three consecutive defeats and renewed the fans' hope that the team could avoid relegation. Losing to Vasco would be problematic, drawing would be disappointing, and winning would be liberating.

A fabulous free kick from Dimitri Payet gave the Cruzmaltino victory over América in the 94th minute. The goal could be crucial for the team's survival in the Série A by breaking a 1-1 deadlock that would have been a bad result for the Cariocas against the last-placed team in the competition. It was Vasco's third win in a row, showing its confidence in this final stage of the season. The Hill's Giant needs at least a draw against Cruzeiro, its direct opponent, but victory will certainly be on the minds of Ramón Díaz's players.

The match will probably be very tactical, and neither team will want to take too many risks. Strange as it may seem, Cruzeiro has the second-best defense in the league and the worst attack. Bearing in mind that any team can win and that the Fox usually doesn't score many goals, I'm going to bet on a game with a maximum of two goals scored.