Fortaleza will be looking to maintain their impressive start to the 2021 Brazilian Serie A season when they host struggling Chapecoense on Wednesday.
With four draws and three losses to their name, winless Chapecoense find themselves eighteenth in the table.
Meanwhile, Fortaleza sit fourth in the standings, having recorded three wins, three draws, and one defeat this season.
Fortaleza kicked off the campaign by securing three straight victories over Atletico-MG, Internacional and Sport Recife.
However, they head into Wednesday’s clash on a four-game winless run, with 3 draws and 1 loss come in that time.
Fortaleza were held to a goalless draw by Gremio last time out, meaning they have only scored two goals in their previous four outings.
Still, Fortaleza’s free-scoring start to the season means that only three teams in the division have netted more goals in 2021.
Looking at the bigger picture, Fortaleza have only lost one of their last 17 matches in all competitions – a run stretching back to April.
On the flip side, it’s safe to say that Chapecoense have struggled to adapt to the demands of top-flight football following their promotion last term.
The Serie A newcomers have yet to win a game since returning to the top tier, recording four draws and three defeats along the way.
In fact, Chapecoense have only managed to win one of their previous 12 outings in all competitions, chalking up six draws and five losses during that period.
It is also worth pointing out that Chapecoense have kept just a single clean sheet in their last 13 encounters.
Head-to-head: Fortaleza and Chapecoense have only faced each other on two occasions over the years, with both meetings coming back in 2019.
Fortaleza won both matches, picking up a 3-1 away victory before winning the reverse fixture 2-0 on home soil.
Team news: Fortaleza look set to be without injured midfield duo Jackson and Jussa for Wednesday’s clash.
As for Chapecoense, they could be without as many as eight first-team players through both injury and illness.
Given the contrasting early-season form of Fortaleza and Chapecoense, all the signs point towards a comfortable home victory on Wednesday.
Forebet predicts that in-form Fortaleza will score over 2.5 goals on their way to overcoming struggling Chapecoense.