Brazilian giants Sao Paulo have the opportunity to climb to the top of the Paulista Championship when they entertain Oeste at the Morumbi stadium on Sunday.
Sao Paulo, who lie in second place to Santos by just one point but with a game in hand, understand that the three points are crucial considering that at the conclusion of the round there will only be seven games left to play in the competition.
Having failed to capture a victory in their last three games in all competitions, including a surprise 2-1 defeat to Arsenal de Sarandi in Argentina for the Copa Libertadores on Thursday, Sao Paulo are definitely not at their best form, but will be desperate to put that defeat behind them with a soothing victory over Oeste.
Sao Paulo boss Ney Franco will be delighted by the returns of star striker Luis Fabiano and Wellington, who were both suspended for the Copa Libertadores group game.
However, three important players will be unavailable for selection, with them being Bruno Cortez, who is injured, Lucio, who is suspended, and Osvaldo, who was named in the Brazilian national team squad for their midweek friendly match against Italy in Geneva.
Rivals Oeste find themselves in 13th place of the competition with 14 points, but will be looking for their third successive victory that would help them in their pursuit of a top eight finish that would ensure them of passage into the knock-out stage of the competition.
Oeste have never beaten Sao Paulo in four attempts in the Paulista Championship, with the last meeting between the sides ending in a 3-2 victory for the Brazilian giants in late January, 2012.
Sao Paulo's last four matches
Mar 14, 2013: Arsenal 2-1 Sao Paulo (Copa Libertadores)
Mar 10, 2013: Sao Paulo 0-0 Palmeiras (Paulista Championship)
Mar 7, 2013: Sao Paulo 1-1 Arsenal (Copa Libertadores)
Mar 3, 2013: Penapolense 0-2 Sao Paulo (Paulista Championship)
Oeste's last four matches
Mar 8, 2013: Oeste 3-0 Piracicaba (Paulista Championship)
Mar 1, 2013: Oeste 2-0 Uniao Barbarense (Paulista Championship)
Feb 22, 2013: Mogi Mirim 1-0 Oeste (Paulista Championship)
Feb 17, 2013: Oeste 2-0 Penapolense (Paulista Championship)
Facts
- The sides have met four times for the Paulista Championship between 2009 and 2012, with Sao Paulo winning twice and the remaining two games ending in draws.
- Oeste have won four out of their last five games for the Paulista Championship, including wins over Piracicaba and Uniao Barbarense in their last two outings.
