In 15th round of Série A we will have a chance to see Santos host Ponte Preta at Estádio Urbano Caldeira.
Both of the teams are on a decent run, only loosing 1 match out of last 5 played. Looking at table standings, there is nothing to separate these two teams, each with 23 points accumulated throughout the season. But when deciding, which team has a upper hand in this fixture, we must take a closer look at previous matches.
Santos
The hosts are undefeated in the last 4 home matches. They were able to defeat Botafogo RJ (3:0), Sport Recife (2:0), Sao Paulo (3:0) and Chapecoense-SC (3:0). I know what you may think, these teams are not one of the best in the league. That is true, but the results 3:0 clearly say, that Santos could stand against a much better team and still have a good chance to win. Also I might mention, Santos winning the last H2H match between these two teams in February (0:2)
Ponte Preta
Ponte Preta has shown that they are quite strong at home, with 4 wins in the last 5 matches, but the away record speaks otherwise. Looking at last 5 away matches, Ponte Preta only won twice, against America MG (1:2) and most recent match, against Santa Cruz (0:3). The match against America MG (the worst team of Série A currently, with only 1 point) was a disappointment to say the least. Ponte Preta has scored in 6′ and 19′, to get an early advantage, but the overall performance was really bad. Both of the teams showed the same amount of quality, despite being separated by 13 places in the table. Judging solely on performances on the pitch, a draw would be a fair result. There is also a defeat against 13th placed Atletico-MG (3:0), which only shows us, that Ponte Preta has some serious issues when it comes to away matches.
Players
Ponte Preta might be worried, as they have a couple of missing players. Rene Junior, Thiago Gallardo, Joao Victor and Azevedo are all sidelined. As for the home side, they have no important players missing, on the contrary, they will see the return of their striker Ricardo Oliveira.
Verdict
It’s clear that Ponte Preta does not perform up to part and will have some trouble in the upcoming match. I see this match as a great chance for Santos to get 3 points and climb up the table.
Prediction: Santos -1.00 Asian Handicap
Odds: 1.75 SBOBET
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