**Both teams are limping through the table—Cruzeiro's recent win over Athletico is the only real spark, but Vitória at home might have the edge in a full-contact midfield battle.** 🔥

Vitória have won just once in five but beat Grêmio at the Manoel Barradas, where they'll be fighting for points today. Cruzeiro's form is equally patchy: three losses in their last five despite that 3-1 demolition, and they're heavy underdogs in Salvador historically (only 4 wins in 32 H2H meetings).

Key storylines:

- **Walace and Gerson** anchor the midfield battle—both teams need steel in the center with injuries piling up
- **Vitória's home record** is the deciding factor; they've shown they can hurt good sides at Barradas
- **Cruzeiro's away struggles** continue a painful pattern—19 wins at home over 32 games but just 4 on the road

Expected lineups:

- **Vitória**: L. Arcanjo, Jamerson, L. Cândido, Cacá, Walace, E. Brítez, D. Tarzia, Renê, Erick, Matheuzinho, Mateusinho
- **Cruzeiro**: Otávio, G. Rojas, F. Bruno, J. Marcelo, Gerson, M. Henrique, Wesley, M. Pereira, K. Arroyo, K. Jorge, Fagner

Prediction:

**Vitória 1–1 Cruzeiro.** Both sides are fragile enough that a draw feels like the coin flip, though the Bahians have the slight lean at home.