In the early hours of Wednesday morning, Athletico Paranaense welcome Corinthians to Arena da Baixada as the midweek Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A action kicks off.
With 11 games in the books, Corinthians find themselves second in the table – one point behind first-place Palmeiras and three points clear of third-place Sao Paulo.
Meanwhile, Athletico occupy fifth place. They currently sit one point outside the top four and four points behind Corinthians.
Athletico head into this clash with a record of five wins, two draws and four losses. However, they are the only team in the top seven with a negative goal difference.
Not only have Athletico avoided defeat in each of their last five Serie A games, but they have also avoided defeat in each of their previous seven in all competitions.
When you look at the bigger picture, Athletico have lost just one of their past ten encounters – picking up seven wins and two draws along the way.
Having kept a clean sheet in five of their previous ten outings, Athletico will fancy their chances of frustrating high-flying Corinthians.
On the flip side, Corinthians have lost just two of their 11 league games this term – sealing six wins and three draws in the process.
No team has won more Serie A games than Corinthians this season, while only three sides have suffered fewer defeats.
It is also worth noting that Corinthians boast the second-best defensive record in the division, having conceded only nine goals in 11 outings.
Remarkably, Corinthians have also lost just one of their past 13 games across all competitions – collecting six wins and six draws in that time.
Head-to-head: Corinthians are currently enjoying a six-game unbeaten run against Athletico, having secured four wins and two draws since their last loss.
It is also worth pointing out that seven of the previous nine meetings between the these two sides have produced under 2.5 goals.
Team news: Athletico’s injury list includes Thiago Heleno, Julimar, Marlos and Vitinho. Elsewhere, teenage sensation Vitor Roque is away on Brazil U20 duty.
As for Corinthians, they look set to be without the injured quintet of Fagner, Joao Victory, Maycon, Moraes and Paulinho for the upcoming clash.
Given that both these sides are fighting towards the top end of the table, this is destined to be a tense clash between two evenly matched teams.
For that reason, Forebet predicts that Atletico Paranaense and Corinthians will play out a low-scoring draw.