Fortaleza CE v Atletico Paranaense

Fortaleza vs Athletico PR Preview

Fortaleza will be relieved to be returning to their home surroundings of the Estádio Governador Plácido Aderaldo Castelo for this upcoming clash with Athletico PR on Sunday evening following defeat last time out on the road at Flamengo in a 2-0 loss.

Prior to that loss, Fortaleza had collected back-to-back wins against Cruzeiro and Atletico Mineiro, while the hosts have been a tough unit to beat as Fortaleza have been handed only three defeats out of their last 16 matches overall in the Brazilian top flight, an impressive sequence that includes seven wins.

It's been results on home soil though at their Estádio Governador Plácido Aderaldo Castelo that has helped Fortaleza into the top 12 pack and in contention for a possible berth in next season's Copa Sudamericana and perhaps even the Copa Libertadores as only three points separate Fortaleza from the top four clubs.

Fortaleza still remain unbeaten at home, picking up three wins and three draws and includes victories gained over Fluminense, Vasco da Gama and Atletico Mineiro.

Athletico PR sit in ninth place but level on points with their upcoming hosts, Fortaleza, but recent results have been pretty inconsistent where the visitors have been concerned, picking up just two wins in their previous seven matches overall while also being dealt three defeats in the process as well.

Losses to Bragantino, Gremio and Sao Paulo suggest this upcoming trip to face fellow top 12 opposition Fortaleza could be a tough assignment for the away side, especially considering Athletico PR's poor results on their travels of late which have really let the visitors down this season and beyond.

Athletico PR have managed to scrape together just one win from their previous 14 outings on the road which was gained with a 2-0 victory at Internacional but having also lost nine of these 14 trips, the visitors look to have their work cut out here on Sunday evening.

In addition, Athletico PR have conceded 2 goals or more in no fewer than 10 of these 14 away games along with failing to score in six of these matches as well, so the odds seem to be stacked against the visitors in this one.

Fortaleza v Athletico PR Verdict

Fortaleza will certainly fancy their chances here in this one on Sunday especially as the hosts still remain unbeaten on home soil this season and will be hosting a poor-travelling Athletico PR who have found wins on the road really tough to come by.

The key here looks to be the leaky defensive unit of Athletico PR though and Fortaleza will be eager to exploit any weaknesses here this Sunday.

Therefore, our main bet will be Fortaleza win @ 1.70

Other side bets worth considering:

Fortaleza win & Under 2.5 goals @ 3.60

Correct score: Fortaleza 2-0 @ 7.50