Internacional vs Fortaleza Prediction: Fortaleza must react to regain the first place

In the last round, Fortaleza traveled to Rio de Janeiro to defend its league lead against Botafogo but ultimately failed, dropping to second place after a 2-0 defeat. However, the Cearenses can regain the throne if they beat Internacional in a postponed match from Round 19.

The Colorado made a great showing in the Gaúcho classic with Juventude. Inter beat the rival 3-1 in Caxias do Sul, which may have been the result needed to gain confidence and climb the table. Roger Machado's men were already 2-0 up at half-time with goals from Rafael Borré and Gabriel Carvalho in the 30th and 34th minutes, respectively. Juventude's Rodrigo Sam received a red card in the 45th minute, and things became very difficult for the home side. Internacional made it 3-0 in the 59th minute through Alexandro Bernabei, clinching the match. Juventude reduced the deficit to 1-3 in the 92nd minute through Luís Oyama, but it was too late. The Porto Alegre side is in 10th place with 32 points and three games in hand.

The Lion of Pici finally lost in the Série A after an impressive unbeaten run of ten games with nine wins. Fortaleza climbed to the league's top with such an excellent streak, but the opponent in the latest round was Botafogo, one of the strongest contenders for the title. The Cearenses' resistance was strong at the Nilton Santos, but Igor Jesus was inspired and scored twice in the 73rd and 91st minutes, giving Botafogo a 2-0 victory. Fortaleza is now in second place, two points behind the Cariocas, who lead the Brasileirão with 50 points. It will be interesting to see how Vojvoda's team reacts to the defeat against Botafogo. Internacional has improved in recent games and won't be easy to beat.

Fortaleza is not used to battling for the title, so it's hard to know how the team will react to losing the lead. Internacional is always a tough team to beat at the Beira-Rio and is capable of causing problems for any visitor. Fortaleza can regain first place in case of victory, which will be the team's goal. In reality, either team has a chance of winning. The Gaúchos are strong at home, while the Cearenses have proved to be one of the best teams in the league, so anything is possible. I'm betting on a Double Chance for Fortaleza, which covers two possible outcomes.