Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Brazilian Serie A match.
In Round 14 of the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, the fixture list has presented Botafogo with a very favourable opportunity. They are set to host Vitória, who have failed to register a win in their last five league outings.
Botafogo
Botafogo currently occupy sixth place in the standings and possess the league’s strongest defensive record. With just seven goals conceded, they trail only Flamengo, who have allowed four. It is somewhat surprising that Botafogo have suffered three defeats in their 12 matches. However, their last loss came back on 3 May, a narrow 0:1 defeat to Bahia. Since then, the squad has posted three clean-sheet victories, a goalless draw with Flamengo—a result that was largely anticipated—and a thrilling 3:2 win over Ceará. Even during their campaign at the FIFA Club World Cup, the squad remained defensively solid under Renato Paiva, rarely conceding more than once per match. That said, many of their results were narrow 0:1 losses. The tournament marked a decisive shift, and by the time of their Série A fixture on 12 July, Botafogo had a new head coach at the helm in Davide Ancelotti.
Vitória
Vasco da Gama were unable to cope with the reigning champions under their new manager and fell to a 0:2 defeat. Vitória followed a similar path, losing 0:1 away to Internacional. The squad has now failed to score in six consecutive matches across all competitions. Each of these games has ended either in a goalless draw or a 0:1 defeat. This pattern also held true in their meetings with Botafogo last season, which resulted in a 1:1 draw and a 0:1 away defeat.
Botafogo vs Vitória Prediction
In what will be his second match in charge, Davide Ancelotti is expected to have Botafogo even more organised, while Vitória appear likely to extend their scoreless run.
