Fortaleza vs Criciúma Prediction: The Lion faces the Tiger

Vojvoda's team continues to climb the standings and convince those who follow Brazilian football. Fortaleza defeated fifth-placed Cruzeiro away from home and is now third in the league with one game in hand, four points behind leader Botafogo. The Cearenses haven't lost in seven matches, and no one is in better form in the league than them.

The Lion is enjoying a period of great confidence thanks to its position and because it was the first visitor team to beat Cruzeiro. The game took place on neutral ground, but the Kleber Andrade stadium in Cariacica was full of fans of the Belo Horizonte club. The Ceará side won 2-1 with goals from Breno Lopes and Renato Kayzer in the first half. Fortaleza will host Criciúma after the two teams met on July 24 in a Round 3 postponed match. The game ended in a 1-1 draw, but Fortaleza has all the chances to win at home to stay in the top three.

The Tiger has also been performing well lately, having beaten Atlético Mineiro 2-1 at home in the last round. It was Cláudio Tencati's men's second straight win and their third game without losing. The Catarinenses are in 12th place with two games in hand and have shown enough quality to avoid relegation to the Série B, where they played last season. No team has won at the Arena Castelão, so Criciúma's task will not be easy.

Fortaleza is the favorite in this game if it doesn't underestimate Criciúma, which scored in every league match. Fortaleza will play Rosario Central in a few days in a tough encounter, so the Cearenses may want to moderate their efforts against Criciúma. The Lion is in third place, but we'll have to see how the team performs in such a high position now that the pressure is mounting on the players. So far, no side has won at the Arena Castelão, so I'm betting on the home side to win.