Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Brazilian Série A match.
The 13th matchweek of Brazil's Série A sees Botafogo take on Vasco da Gama, marking the debut of a new head coach for the visitors. While Vasco da Gama have recently pulled themselves out of the relegation zone, the reigning champions are widely expected to have the edge over a squad that lacks the depth of Botafogo.
Vasco da Gama
This season, Vasco da Gama continue to languish in the lower half of the standings. Off-field headlines have often overshadowed on-pitch achievements, particularly surrounding the controversy involving Dimitri Payet. Since mid-April, Vasco da Gama have secured just one home win in four Série A outings—a 3:0 result against Fortaleza Esporte Clube. Heading into this fixture, they will be without three injured players.
Botafogo
Botafogo began their Club World Cup journey with impressive victories over Seattle Sounders FC (2:1) and Paris Saint-Germain (1:0), before suffering narrow defeats to Atlético Madrid (0:1) and Palmeiras (0:1 after extra time) in the knockout round. With Gabriel Fernando de Jesus having joined Nottingham Forest, the coaching staff must now adjust their attacking setup. Former FC Zenit Saint Petersburg striker Artur Victor Guimarães is expected to lead the line, having already notched up two goals and three assists in the league.
Vasco da Gama vs Botafogo Prediction
A win against Vasco da Gama could push the reigning champions into the Série A top five. We expect Botafogo to take care of business on the road.
