Vila Nova and Criciuma are tied at the top of Brazil’s Serie B, with 34 points from 17 matches played. In midweek, both teams will be in action, as they try to wrestle away sole position of first place.
Meanwhile, 16th-place Chapecoense are trying to get away from the bottom of the table.
Chapecoense will host Ituano in a six-point relegation battle. Ituano will start the round in 14th place but just six points off the bottom three. Sixteenth-placed Chapecoense are one point above the bottom three.
Ituano are unbeaten in two straight games against Chapecoense. Last season, Ituano got a 1-1 draw at Chapecoense before winning 1-0 at home. Ituano are on a three-match unbeaten streak, in which they took five points from nine on offer.
Chapecoense took six points from the last six games. They are coming off a 2-1 home win over CRB. Chapecoense are on a three-game unbeaten streak at home, with five points from nine.
Juventude won their last two matches against Ponte Preta in all competitions, but those two wins came back in 2020. The Green posted a record of four wins and two losses against Ponte Preta in their last six head-to-head meetings.
Ponte Preta won three of their last four league matches. They go into round No 18 in 13th place in the standings. Ponte Preta scored the second-fewest goals in Serie B, with just 10.
Juventude go into the match unbeaten in their last four matches. The Green are eighth in the standings and eight points off the top two. Juventude took four points from their last six on the road.
Atletico Goianiense and Mirassol will meet in a Serie B top-nine match. Mirassol are sixth in the league and seven points off the top two. Atletico Goianiense are ninth and just one point behind Mirassol in the standings.
Mirassol are not in good form ahead of round No 18. They failed to win their last four matches, picking up two points from 12 on offer. Their last three matches ended with under 2.5 goals.
Atletico Goianiense are in better form, as they took 10 points from the last 18 points on offer. The team went unbeaten in each of their last six fixtures. Atletico Goianiense went unbeaten in their last three home matches.
Vila Nova are aiming to hang onto first place, as they visit Ceara for round 18. Ceara have a strong head-to-head record against Vila Nova, with four wins, a draw, and just one defeat in the last six matches. However, these teams have not met since 2017.
Vila Nova are coming off a shock 1-0 loss to 18th-placed Londrina last time out. They took 10 points out of the last 18 points on offer in the league. No team has conceded fewer goals than Vila Nova’s six this season.
Ceara went unbeaten in their last two games, with four points from six on offer. They are not a strong home team and have a record of 3W-1D-4L. Ceara scored just eight goals in their eight home fixtures.