In the early hours of Thursday morning, Internacional welcome Red Bull Bragantino to Beira-Rio as Matchday 28 of the Brazilian Serie A season continues.
Internacional sit second in the table – eight points behind first-place Palmeiras and one point clear of third-place Fluminense – following a positive run of results.
On the flip side, Bragantino find themselves thirteenth – 15 points behind Internacional and only six points clear of the relegation zone.
Let’s start by checking out the hosts, Internacional, who have lost just four of their 27 Serie A games this season, picking up 13 wins and ten draws in the process.
More recently, Internacional have avoided defeat in each of their past six league outings – sealing six wins and one draw along the way.
Not only have Internacional kept four clean sheets in their last six Serie A games, but they have also kept eight in their previous 14.
Internacional have been particularly strong on home soil in recent times, avoiding defeat in each of their last seven home games while keeping four consecutive clean sheets.
As for Red Bull Bragantino, they have only managed to win eight of their 27 league games this term – recording ten draws and nine losses.
Last season, Bragantino finished sixth to secure a Copa Libertadores qualifying spot. This season, however, they are in danger of being relegated.
It is worth noting that Bragantino have struggled on their travels in recent times, winning just three of their previous 23 away games in Serie A.
Worse still, Bragantino have failed to win any of their past seven league outings and head into Matchday 28 on the back of three successive draws.
Head-to-head: Bragantino have only managed to win one of their six previous Serie A meetings with Internacional.
Given that five of the past six league meetings between Internacional and Bragantino have produced under 2.5 goals, we should see a low-scoring encounter this time around.
Team news: Internacional are injury-free at the moment, meaning head coach Mano Menezes has a full-strength squad at his disposal.
Red Bull Bragantino will be without 20-year-old forward Kawe for the trip to Porto Alegre, as he continues to recover from injury.
Given the contrasting form of these two sides, Internacional look set to claim all three points on home soil.
Forebet predicts that Internacional will keep a clean sheet on their way to victory. However, they could struggle to score multiple goals.