Botafogo and Sampaio Corrêa-RJ face each other this Saturday afternoon, January 27, 2024, starting at 4 pm, in a game valid for the 4th round of the Guanabara Cup, for the Carioca Championship. The duel will be played at the Nilton Santos Olympic Stadium (Engenhão), in Rio de Janeiro.
Botafogo
Still trying to heal the wounds after its disappointing outcome in the previous season’s Brasileirão, when it opened up more than 15 points of advantage over the vice-leader and still finished the competition outside of even the G-4, Botafogo began its campaign in the Campeonato Carioca with two important victories, but disappointed again in the most recent round.
On that occasion, the Botafoguense team faced Boavista away from home and ended up getting the worst of it by losing 1-0 to the team from Saquarema, taking away Glorioso’s unbeaten record, which aims to avoid a crisis at the beginning of the season.
There were 2 wins, 1 draw and 2 defeats in the last 5 officially played matches, beating Bangu and Madureira, in addition to drawing with Cruzeiro and losing to Internacional and also to Boavista.
Currently, the black and white team is in second place on the Rio elite league table, with 6 points achieved so far, having only one less than the leader Nova Iguaçu.
Playing as home team, at the Nilton Santos Olympic Stadium, the Botafogo team recorded a recent campaign with only 2 wins, 4 draws and 4 defeats in the last 10 matches played.
Sampaio Corrêa-RJ
On the other side is the Sampaio Corrêa-RJ squad, which in turn, does not have the same hype as its opponent due to the huge disparity in relation to its purchasing power and is still looking to achieve its first victory this season.
The team is trying to establish itself in the state elite after winning the second division title in the previous season, but has been finding it very difficult to adapt to the competitive level.
Their most recent duel was a 1-0 defeat to Portuguesa-RJ, keeping the warning sign on regarding their proximity to the relegation zone.
The club currently occupies tenth place in the Rio elite league table, with only 1 point gained so far, while Audax-RJ opens the relegation zone, still without any points.
In the last 5 games played officially, 2 draws and 3 defeats were recorded, drawing with Vasco and Portuguesa-RJ, in addition to losing to Nova Iguaçu and also to Portuguesa-RJ twice.
As a visitor, the Sampaio Corrêa-RJ team recorded a recent campaign with 4 draws and 6 defeats in the last 10 matches played in this condition.
Conclusion:
Rated with broad favoritism, Botafogo has plenty of technical quality to be able to stand out positively in this clash against an opponent who has not yet fit in the way they would like for the state elite.