Fortaleza vs Athletico prediction, preview, team news and more

Fortaleza host Athletico at the Estadio Castelao on Sunday (June 2) in the Brasileirao Serie A. The hosts have had mixed results in the leaague as they find themselves 11th in the table with seven points from five games.

They drew 1-1 with Botafogo in their last game, with Tomas Pochettino netting the opener fter 10 minutes before conceding the equaliser following a corner.

Athletico, meanwhile ,have performed well in the league this season as they sit atop the standings with 13 points from six matches. They beat defending champions Palmeiras 2-0 in their last league outing. Pablo scored a brilliant opener late in the first half before an own goal from Gustavo Gomez saw the Furacao double their advantage after the restart.

Fortaleza vs Athletico Head-to-Head

Sunday's game will mark the 20th meeting between Fortaleza and Athletico, who lead 8-5. The two sides last faced off in a league clash in November, which ended 1-1.

Fortaleza Form Guide in Brasileirao Serie A: D-D-D-D-W

Athletico Form Guide in Brasileirao Serie A: W-W-D-W-L

Fortaleza vs Athletico Team News

Fortaleza

Calebe and Lucas Sasha are set to miss Sunday's game, with the former dealing with a thigh injury and Sasha a knee problem.

Injured: Calebe, Lucas Sasha

Doubtful: None

Suspended: None

Athletico

Lucas Esquivel received a red card against Palmeiras last time out and is suspended from the weekend clash. Meanwhile, Luan Patrick and Lucas Belezi are unavailable for selection due to personal reasons.

Injured: None

Unavailable: Luan Patrick, Lucas Belezi

Suspended: Lucas Esquivel

Fortaleza vs Athletico Predicted XIs

Fortaleza (3-5-2): Joao Ricardo; Titi, Benjamin Kuscevic, Emanuel Britez; Bruno Pacheco, Moises, Pedro Augusto, Ze Welison, Yago Pikachu; Tomas Pochettino, Juan Martin Lucero

Athletico (4-2-3-1): Bento; Leonardo Godoy, Kaique Rocha, Thiago Heleno, Fernando; Erick, Alex Santana; Bruno Zapelli, Agustin Canobbio, Tomas Cuello; Pablo

Fortaleza vs Athletico Prediction

Fortaleza are on a run of consecutive victories after going winless in seven games. They are undefeated in eight home matches.

Athletico, meanwhile, have lost their last two matches after losing one of seven games. They have, however, won their last two away matches and should pick up a point.

Prediction: Fortaleza 1-1 Athletico

About the author

Jedidiah is a European and international football journalist at Sportskeeda, who has been covering match previews for more than 3 years. Currently pursuing an engineering degree from the University of Ibadan, he conducts thorough research and ensures to be up-to-date with football news across the globe to create the most accurate previews.

A Manchester United fan, Jedidiah fell in love with football and the Red Devils since their UEFA Champions League triumph over Chelsea in 2008. He is a big fan of Robert Lewandowski and his historic performances from 2020, but feels that only Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe are capable of replicating the Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo rivalry. His all-time favorite manager is Carlo Ancelotti due to the Italian's remarkable composure in difficult moments of a contest. Spain's 1-0 win over Netherlands in the final of the 2010 FIFA World Cup is etched in his memory forever.

A true student of the game, Jedidiah relishes identifying hidden gems from lower-tiered leagues such as the EFL Championship and the Eredivisie. When not creating previews, he likes playing football and reading books.

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Edited by Bhargav