Criciuma vs Botafogo Prediction: 22/6/2024

Botafogo is set to visit Estádio Heriberto Hülse on Saturday to face Criciúma in a Serie A matchup.

Criciúma

Criciúma enters this game following a 2-2 draw against Bahia in their last Serie A match. In that game, Criciúma had 32% possession and made 17 attempts on goal, with 5 on target. Marcelo Hermes scored in the 34th minute, and Arthur Caíke added another in the 46th minute for Criciúma. Bahia had 21 shots, with 6 on target, and goals from Everaldo (56′) and Caio Alexandre (72′).

Recent games involving Criciúma have been high-scoring affairs, with 21 goals in their last six matches, averaging 3.5 goals per game. Criciúma has contributed 6 of these goals.

Botafogo

Botafogo comes into this match after securing a 2-1 victory over Grêmio in their previous Serie A outing. In that game, Botafogo held 55% possession and made 14 attempts on goal, with 5 on target. Cuiabano scored in the 10th minute, and Júnior Santos added another in the 57th minute for Botafogo. Grêmio had 15 shots, with 4 on target, and Gustavo Nunes scored in the 21st minute.

Botafogo’s recent defensive performances have been impressive, conceding only 2 goals in their last six matches while scoring 7 themselves. However, it remains to be seen if they can maintain this form in the upcoming match.

Head to Head

Looking at their previous encounters since May 1, 2004, Criciúma has won 1 match, Botafogo has won 3, and 2 matches have ended in a draw. These matches have seen a total of 17 goals, with 4 for Criciúma and 13 for Botafogo, averaging 2.83 goals per game.

Their last league meeting was on September 21, 2014, ending in a 1-1 draw. In that game, Criciúma had 69% possession and 18 shots, with Paulo Baier scoring in the 68th minute. Botafogo had 7 attempts, with Pablo Zeballos scoring in the 37th minute. The match was officiated by Wilton Pereira Sampaio.

Prediction

Criciúma is expected to struggle against Botafogo’s strong defense. We predict a closely contested match with Botafogo likely to win 1-0.

Our expert partners also suggest that the match will have under 3.5 goals. It will be interesting to see how the game unfolds.