Fifteen places separate Coritiba from continental-chasing Fluminense heading into Monday night's Brasileiro encounter at Couto Pereira.

Coxa are two places off the bottom in the table, while their fifth-placed opponents could move as high as second if results go in their favour in gameweek 16.

Match preview

Coritiba were winless in the top flight for the campaign's opening 12 rounds of fixtures but have picked up two victories in the last three gameweeks.

A closer look shows both wins came against 17th-placed Goias and cellar-dwelling America Mineiro, suggesting the ostensible resurgence cannot be verified due to the quality of the opposition.

However, they held 10th-placed Cruzeiro to a goalless game in round 14, extending Coxa's unbeaten run in the division to three games.

Thiago Kosloski has been in caretaker charge of the club through those three matches, and the 42-year-old will hope to extend that undefeated run to four games on Monday.

Be that as it may, a wretched home record — one win, three draws and as many defeats in seven games — means the hosts face an uphill task against Fluminense.

As for the visitors, an unbeaten home record has not been replicated in road results, with two wins secured in seven matches.

Winless in their last four away games (three defeats), Fluminense could drop out of the Copa Libertadores qualification spots if Coritiba inflict a fourth loss in five games on Fernando Diniz's men.

Noteworthy from those losses has been Tricolor's inability to find the back of the net against Botafogo, Corinthians and Sao Paulo, with 1-0 defeats either side of a 2-0 reverse against the league's 15th-placed side.

Another game against lowly opposition awaits, even if Fluminense's 2-2 draw with struggling Goias in June summarised the club's wider away bother.

Ending their four-game winless run could take Diniz's men to second place in the standings - but the side in fifth would need Flamengo (home to bottom-placed America Mineiro), Gremio (home to Atletico Mineiro) and Sao Paulo (away at Cuiaba) to all drop points this weekend.

Team News

Liziero - absent since mid-June with a ligament injury - and Boschilia - sidelined against Cruzeiro with a hamstring issue - are not expected to play in Monday's game.

Alef Manga scored and set up another in Coxa's only home victory of the season — a 3-1 triumph over America Mineiro - and the wide attacker could add to his four direct contributions leading to goals in his last three league appearances (three goals and one assist).

Coritiba are expected to line up in a 4-1-4-1 formation in gameweek 16's encounter.

Fluminense will be without Vitor Mendes, Jorge and Alexsander, with the latter pair sidelined with knee injuries.

Marcelo was withdrawn late against Flamengo, and the former Real Madrid left-back is doubtful for Monday's visit to struggling Coritiba.

Ganso returned to Diniz's lineup, bringing about a return to the 4-2-3-1, and the away side could utilise the same approach at Couto Pereira.

Coritiba possible starting lineup:
Vasconcelos; Natanael, Kuscevic, Henrique, Jemerson; Andrey; Robson, Gomes, Moreno, Manga; Pinho

Fluminense possible starting lineup:
Fabio; Xavier, Nino, Melo, Guga; Martinelli, Andre; Arias, Ganso, Lima; Cano

We say: Coritiba 1-1 Fluminense

Fluminense's absence of away clean sheets suggests Coritiba should find the back of the net on Monday, but the visitors should score at the other end as well, with a score draw on the cards.


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