Ceara vs Vasco da Gama Predictions

Sunday’s crunch Brazilian Serie A action sees Ceara and Vasco da Gama doing battle. The stakes are very high, with the hosts needing a win to qualify for the Copa Sudamericana and the visitors needing at least a point to be assured of avoiding the drop.

You’d have questioned the sanity of anyone who would have predicted Ceara would save themselves from relegation with a game to spare and have the chance to secure continental football on the final day when they had just 5 points from their opening 12 matches; but that’s exactly the position Vozão are now in.

Boss Lisca has done such a good job in turning things around that fans have been getting tattoos of him and there can be no doubting he’s done sterling work to save a team that looked dead and buried when he came in. Now knowing a win would see them qualify for the Copa Sudamericana, motivation is high in securing all 3 points and unbeaten in 7 home matches, winning 5 times in the process, Ceara look well placed to do exactly that.

Meanwhile, the pressure is really on Vasco, as failure to take anything from the game would leave them depending on results elsewhere in order to avoid falling through the Serie B trapdoor. Almirante’s position could be far worse, but having taken just 4 points from the last 5 games, they’ve failed to put relegation fears to bed and have left a great deal riding on what is a very difficult trip.

It’s been a season of turmoil on and off the pitch for Vasco and fans and players alike are just hoping it ends with top flight status intact. Nonetheless, having won just once on the road all season, it’s Vasco’s away form that has them in their current predicament and 10 defeats from the 18 trips contested hardly has their prospects looking bright coming into the game.

Ultimately, we along with everyone else had Ceara penned in for a bottom four finish after their horrendous start to the campaign but they’ve improved immeasurably and are now just 1 more win away from what would be a huge achievement

With the 63,000 capacity Estádio Governador Plácido Aderaldo Castelo a complete sell out for Sunday’s clash, Ceara will be able to call upon huge support and we think that’ll be a big factor in settling the winner of the fixture, making backing a home win the best way to play as far as the betting goes.

Ceara have been very strong on their own patch in recent months, also scoring an average of 1.57 goals a game over their aforementioned 7 unbeaten home streak and with Vasco far from strong on their travels, we envisage the hosts running out 2-1 winners.