Grêmio Faces Botafogo in Crucial Brasileirão Match

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – Grêmio is set to face Botafogo on Saturday at 7:30 PM local time at Estádio Nilton Santos in a crucial match in the 35th round of Brasileirão. The Tricolor will see at least six changes from their last game against Vasco.

Coach Mano Menezes confirmed late injuries to key players Arthur and Amuzu, who will not travel for physical preservation due to the artificial turf, which increases injury risk. Defender Wagner Leonardo is suspended, allowing for Kannemann‘s return to the lineup, with Noriega expected to replace Gustavo Martins, who is also sidelined.

Edenilson returns from suspension to bolster the midfield, while Cristaldo will move to the bench. In attack, Alysson is likely to start over Pavon. Alysson was a last-minute substitute against Vasco but made an appearance in the second half.

The expected starting lineup for Grêmio includes Volpi, Marcos Rocha, Erick Noriega, Kannemann, and Marlon; Dodi, Cuéllar, and Edenilson; Alysson, Carlos Vinicius, and Pavon (or Aravena).

Midfielder Monsalve remains unavailable due to a recent ankle injury sustained during practice.

Grêmio aims to improve its poor away performance, having only three wins out of 12 away games this season. Their last victory was over Internacional in September. With 43 points, Grêmio currently sits in 12th place and hopes to enhance its standings in the league.

In league play, Grêmio has struggled away from home, with a win percentage of only 27%, which is among the lowest in the league. Mano Menezes emphasized the need for his team to mature and learn from past mistakes to secure better results as the season progresses.

With the match against Botafogo crucial for both teams, attention will be on the Tricolor’s tactical adjustments and how they handle the synthetic pitch at Nilton Santos.