The Copa do Brasil progressed into the third round this week. The third round of the cup competition is two-legged and on Thursday night (Friday European time) Avai host Athletico PR.
Avai are in Brazil’s Serie B division and they will aim to take the scalp off of Athletico PR. The visitors are a strong Serie A side and are coming off of a win on opening day of the domestic campaign.
The third round of the tournament sees Athletico PR join the Copa do Brasil. Avai have already played twice in the competition as they defeated Palmas 1-0 and Cascavel 2-0.
Thanks to the state tournaments, Copa do Brasil, and Serie B, Avai have already played 20 times in 2021. They have posted a strong 12W-5D-3L record. They have outscored opponents 20 to 10 with 13 matches finishing in clean sheets.
Athletico PR have played 19 games in 2021 in all competitions. They have posted a record of 12W-1D-6L. Athletico PR have outscored opponents 24 to 15 while keeping 10 clean sheets. They are on a five-game winning streak.
The Hurricane will aim to start their journey in the cup on the right foot. Head coach António Oliveira will be without players Abner due to national team commitments, Terans courtesy of an injured, and Matheus Babi, who is ruled out due to already playing in the cup for Botafogo.
Avai could take advantage of Athletico PR, however, as Oliveira could rotate the side. The coach could have his eyes on this weekend’s Serie A match versus Juventude.
These teams have a long history in Serie A prior to Avai’s relegation to Serie B at the end of the 2019 campaign.
Avai are unbeaten in their last three matches versus Athletico PR. Two of the three games ended in wins while their most recent fixture in 2019 was a nil-nil draw.
Athletico PR are not just going strong in Serie A after one matchday, but they qualified for the next phase of the Copa Sudamericana.
Meanwhile, Avai are coming off of a state tournament win in the Catarinense competition. They are in good form as well and could continue it this week.
The recent trend has seen Avai outplay Athletico PR in head-to-head meetings. They should claim a win in the Copa do Brasil third round first leg this week.
The game should be low scoring with under 2.5 goals scored. Each of their last three meetings, all positive results for Avai, ended with both teams not scoring and under 2.5 goals scored. That trend should remain.