Serie A · Matchday 31 
Cruzeiro favourites, Gremio's home stand: can the Porto Alegre side trouble the leaders' pace?
Cruzeiro arrive as the clear favourites on Sunday, but Gremio, 18th and deep in the relegation zone, have a home record that could make the afternoon awkward for the visitors.
📍 Arena do Grêmio
Match facts
Recent form
Last 5 league games, latest on the right
Goals per game
| Scored | Conceded | |
|---|---|---|
| Gremio | 1.1 | 1.3 |
| Cruzeiro | 1.5 | 1.5 |
League position
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | Cruzeiro | 30 | +2 | 48 |
| 18 | Gremio | 30 | -8 | 31 |
Last meetings
- 2026Gremio3-1Cruzeiro
- 2026Cruzeiro2-0Gremio
- 2025Gremio0-1Cruzeiro
- 2025Cruzeiro4-1Gremio
- 2024Cruzeiro1-1Gremio
Absences
Gremio
- OutJ. Cabral · Inactive
- OutWallace · Yellow Cards
- DoubtfulMatheus Nascimento · Inactive
Cruzeiro
- OutFelipe Morais · Yellow Cards
- OutGabriel Pec · Broken Leg
- OutL. Romero · Injury
- OutL. Sinisterra · Muscle Injury
- DoubtfulN. Villarreal · Ankle Injury
A sixth-place contest that is really about survival
Gremio cannot afford to keep watching the table. Sitting 18th with 31 points from 30 games, they need a result at the Arena do Grêmio far more than Cruzeiro do. The visitors, seventh with 48 points, are the side expected to win, and the gap between the clubs in the standings is wide.
Cruzeiro’s goal difference of +2 contrasts with Gremio’s -8, and that gap captures the story: a club in a comfortable position against one fighting to escape the bottom of the table.
Form that tells two stories
Gremio’s recent run has been stubborn rather than productive. Their last five games produced three draws and two defeats, with five goals scored and seven conceded. Their season has been split sharply by venue: seven wins, all at home, and ten defeats on the road.
Cruzeiro arrive in better shape. They have won three of their last five (LWWLW), scoring 11 and conceding eight. Across the season they have 14 wins, six of them away from home, and 46 goals scored.
Head-to-head: Cruzeiro’s edge
Recent meetings in Serie A have favoured the visitors. Cruzeiro beat Gremio 4-1 in July 2025, won 1-0 in November 2025 and claimed a 2-0 victory in April 2026. The only draw in that run was a 1-1 result in November 2024. Gremio did win a friendly between the sides 3-1 in July 2026, but that counts for little on Sunday.
Team news: absences on both sides
Gremio will be without J. Cabral, who is inactive, and Wallace, who misses out after accumulating yellow cards. Matheus Nascimento is a doubt, also due to inactivity.
Cruzeiro’s list is longer. Gabriel Pec is out with a broken leg, and L. Romero and L. Sinisterra are sidelined through injury, the latter with a muscle problem. Felipe Morais misses out through yellow cards, while N. Villarreal is a doubt with an ankle injury.
Our prediction
Cruzeiro should have enough quality to win, but Gremio’s home form gives them a real chance to make it uncomfortable. We expect a tighter contest than the table suggests, with the visitors just edging it on the back of their stronger attack and better away form.
Gremio 1-2 Cruzeiro