Cruzeiro vs Botafogo
Justino's strike sinks Cruzeiro
Botafogo snatch a narrow win at Cruzeiro with a first-half goal.
Botafogo edged out Cruzeiro 1-0 thanks to G. Justino's 41st-minute strike, securing all three points on the road. Despite Fipster's prediction favouring a 2-1 home win for Cruzeiro, the visitors defied expectations with a disciplined performance to claim a slender victory.
Analysis
Cruzeiro and Botafogo face off in what promises to be a tightly contested match. Both sides have shown resilience this season, but Cruzeiro's slight edge in the league standings and head-to-head record suggests a home win is on the cards.
This fixture is part of the regular season's 20th round. Cruzeiro currently sit 7th with 27 points, while Botafogo are close behind in 10th with 25 points. Their previous 20 meetings have been competitive, with Cruzeiro winning 9 times and Botafogo only twice, alongside 9 draws. The average goals per match in these encounters is 2.4, hinting at a lively game ahead.
Cruzeiro's midfield creativity, led by Matheus Pereira and Christian, is expected to challenge Botafogo's defence effectively. Pereira, with multiple goals recently, is a key attacking threat, while Christian's recent goal and assist contributions add to Cruzeiro's offensive options. Botafogo will rely heavily on Arthur Cabral, their top scorer, who has been in fine form with multiple goals. Defender Fagner's assist potential from the back adds an extra dimension to Botafogo's attack. Both teams are expected to field full-strength squads, making for an evenly matched contest.
Prediction
The prediction favours a home win for Cruzeiro with a final score of 2-1. The first half is expected to be balanced, ending 1-1, before Cruzeiro edge ahead in the second half. The match is also likely to see around three cards, reflecting the competitive nature of the encounter.
Outcome probability
Match factors
Cruzeiro's midfield creativity vs Botafogo's defense
Cruzeiro's Matheus Pereira and Christian provide strong attacking midfield presence against Botafogo's defense, likely to create scoring chances
Arthur Cabral's scoring form for Botafogo
Arthur Cabral is Botafogo's top scorer with multiple recent goals, posing a significant threat to Cruzeiro's defense
Cruzeiro's recent scoring streak at home
Cruzeiro has scored in their last 5 home games, indicating strong offensive form at home
Fagner's assist potential from defense for Botafogo
Fagner's ability to deliver assists from defensive positions adds an extra attacking dimension for Botafogo
No confirmed injuries affecting key players
Both teams have no confirmed injuries, so full squads expected to compete at full strength
Key Takeaways
In summary, expect a competitive match with Cruzeiro's home advantage and midfield creativity proving decisive. Botafogo will push hard, but Cruzeiro's recent scoring streak and key players should secure the narrow victory.
- Cruzeiro have won 9 of the last 20 matches against Botafogo.
- Head-to-head matches average 2.4 goals, aligning with the predicted 2-1 scoreline.
- Cruzeiro rank 7th with 27 points; Botafogo 10th with 25 points in the league.
- Cruzeiro have scored in their last 5 home games, showing strong offensive form.
- Arthur Cabral is Botafogo's top scorer with multiple recent goals.
- Matheus Pereira has been a consistent goal contributor for Cruzeiro.
- Fagner provides attacking support from defence with multiple assists.
- No confirmed injuries affecting key players on either side.
Player Insights
Standout players Fipster expects to impact the match — curated highlights, not full squad lists
Home — Cruzeiro
Away — Botafogo
Form as the teams went into this match — excludes this result and anything since.
Team Comparison
Season shape — attack, defence, form, clean sheets & win rate
Home vs Away comparison
Goal difference in each of the last few fixtures — above the line is a net win, below is a net loss
Season comparison
Goals scored & conceded, goal difference and clean sheets across the season
Halftime Performance
What each side does once the whistle goes for half time
Streaks
Recent-form runs — each side’s most-recent game meets in the middle
Head to Head
Warleson
Yellow Card
Huguinho
Yellow Card
Sinisterra
Justino
Assist: Telles
Fágner
Yellow Card
Ferraresi
Yellow Card
Jonathan
Yellow Card
Fabrício Bruno
Marquinhos
Santos
Rojas
Fágner
Cabral
Montoro
Telles
Yellow Card
Barria
Yellow Card
Matheus Martins
Telles
| # | Team | P | W | D | L | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Palmeiras | 21 | 14 | 5 | 2 | +22 | 47 |
| 6 |  RB Bragantino | 20 | 9 | 4 | 7 | +6 | 31 |
| 7 |  Botafogo | 20 | 8 | 5 | 7 | +2 | 29 |
| 8 |  Corinthians | 21 | 7 | 8 | 6 | +2 | 29 |
| 10 |  Coritiba | 20 | 7 | 6 | 7 | -2 | 27 |
| 11 |  Cruzeiro | 20 | 7 | 6 | 7 | -4 | 27 |
| 12 |  Sao Paulo | 20 | 7 | 5 | 8 | +2 | 26 |
Match Statistics
Cruzeiro
4-4-2Starting XI
- 7Matheus HenriqueM
- 9Bruno RodriguesF
- 11MarquinhosM
- 15Fabrício BrunoD
- 17L. SinisterraM
- 19Kaio JorgeF
- 23FágnerD
- 27G. RojasD
- 29L. RomeroM
- 34JonathanD
- 81Otávio Eleodoro Rezende CostaG
Substitutes
- 2Kauã MoraesD
- 12WilliamD
- 16Lucas SilvaM
- 25L. VillalbaD
- 40Rhuan GabrielM
- 43João MarceloD
- 51Vitor LamounierG
- 57R. LelisF
- 94WandersonF
- 99K. ArroyoF
Botafogo
4-2-3-1Starting XI
- 2VitinhoD
- 5N. FerraresiD
- 6C. MedinaM
- 8Danilo SantosM
- 10Álvaro MontoroM
- 11Matheus MartinsM
- 13Alex TellesD
- 17WarlesonG
- 19Arthur CabralF
- 34G. JustinoD
- 75HuguinhoM
Substitutes
- 4M. PonteD
- 12Gabriel BatistaG
- 14J. BarreraM
- 21MarçalD
- 23S. RodríguezM
- 29PaulinhoD
- 33L. MonzónD
- 37K. BarriaF
- 59Kauan ToledoM
- 77L. VillalbaF
- 79Lucas EmanuelF
- 88EdenílsonM
Cruzeiro
| Player | Pos | Min | Rating | G | A | Shots | SoT | Key Passes | Dribbles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Otávio Costa | G | 96 | 7.3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Matheus Henrique | M | 96 | 7.3 | — | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1/3 |
| Lucas Romero(C) | M | 96 | 7.0 | — | — | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0/1 |
| Jonathan Jesus | D | 96 | 7.0 | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | 1/1 |
| Bruno Rodrigues | F | 96 | 6.9 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1/3 |
| Fabrício Bruno | D | 60 | 6.9 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Luis Sinisterra | M | 39 | 6.9 | — | — | — | — | — | 0/1 |
| Gabriel Rojas | D | 77 | 6.7 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1/1 |
| Marquinhos | M | 60 | 6.7 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — |
| Fagner | D | 77 | 6.3 | — | — | — | — | 2 | — |
| Kaio Jorge | F | 96 | 6.3 | — | — | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0/2 |
| Substitutes | |||||||||
| Rhuan Gabriel | M | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Vitor Lamounier | G | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Lucas Silva | M | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Lucas Villalba | D | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Rayan Lelis | F | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Wanderson | F | 57 | 7.3 | — | — | 2 | 1 | — | 1/1 |
| William Furtado | D | 19 | 6.9 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — |
| João Marcelo | D | 36 | 6.7 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Keny Arroyo | F | 36 | 6.6 | — | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1/1 |
| Kauã Moraes | D | 19 | 6.5 | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | 0/1 |
Botafogo
| Player | Pos | Min | Rating | G | A | Shots | SoT | Key Passes | Dribbles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Warleson | G | 96 | 8.3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Gabriel Justino | D | 96 | 8.2 | 1 | — | 2 | 2 | — | 1/1 |
| Vitinho | D | 96 | 7.9 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1/2 |
| Álvaro Montoro | M | 82 | 7.6 | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | 6/7 |
| Nahuel Ferraresi | D | 96 | 7.5 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Matheus Martins | M | 90 | 7.0 | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | — |
| Alex Telles(C) | D | 90 | 6.9 | — | 1 | 1 | — | 2 | 0/2 |
| Cristian Medina | M | 96 | 6.7 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1/1 |
| Danilo Santos | M | 69 | 6.5 | — | — | — | — | — | 1/2 |
| Huguinho | M | 96 | 6.3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Arthur Cabral | F | 82 | 6.2 | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | 0/3 |
| Substitutes | |||||||||
| Lucas Emanuel | F | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Lucas Monzón | D | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Marçal | D | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Mateo Ponte | D | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Lucas Villalba | F | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Jordan Barrera | M | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Paulinho | D | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Gabriel Batista | G | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Edenilson | M | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Santiago Rodríguez | M | 14 | 6.7 | — | — | — | — | — | 0/1 |
| Kadir Barría | F | 14 | 6.5 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — |
| Kauan Toledo | M | 27 | 6.2 | — | — | — | — | — | — |