Cuiabá vs Vasco da Gama Prediction: Cuiabá's confidence is sky-high

Cuiabá's win over the leader, Botafogo, was the big surprise of the last round. Without Lucas Perri in goal, who had been left behind, a sprint between Pitta and Di Plácido, won by the striker, gave the Dourado victory, leaving the Nilton Santos in shock. A win with this impact, apart from the three points, will boost Cuiabá's confidence for the match with Vasco da Gama.

António Oliveira's team seems to be back to its best defensively, with only three goals conceded in seven matches. Winning with a clean sheet at the leader's stadium certainly deserves applause. The Dourado returned to 10th place and now has a more comfortable lead over the Z4 teams. Cuiabá has been struggling recently at home and hasn't won in three matches, bringing to mind the start of the campaign when the team was winning away and losing at home. Against Vasco da Gama, a victory could cement Cuiabá's position in qualifying for the Copa Sudamericana, which at the moment seems within reach for the Matogrosso do Sul team.

The 1-1 draw away to Goiás felt like a defeat for the Hill's Giant. The home side's equalizer came in the 92nd minute through Matheus Babi, a few minutes after Pablo Vegetti, who scored Vasco's goal, had been sent off. The result wasn't bad, as it was at the home of a direct competitor. However, how the opportunity to overtake Goiás in the table was missed could undermine the Cruzmaltino's confidence. The Cariocas are in 18th place, one point behind the Esmeraldino and three points behind Santos, which is in 16th place, one above the relegation zone. Without a win in three games and its top scorer, Vegetti, Vasco da Gama's mission in Cuiabá won't be easy.

Cuiabá has a better chance of winning the match, but it needs to improve the level shown in recent home games. The superb away win against Botafogo has certainly given the team more confidence. Vasco can't count on its leading scorer for this game, so it's a bit constrained in attack. I'm going to use a Double Chance in favor of Cuiabá, with a maximum of three goals in the game.