Fortaleza EC vs Avai - Serie B

Fortaleza EC prepare to host Avai at the home ground on September 9, 2026, with both sides eager to assert their credentials and claim a result that could define their Serie B season. Just as was the case in the previous meeting between the teams in April of last year, when Emery's side gave them such a scare in the Champions League tie at Villa Park, PSG were hanging on at the end.

In the Serie B table, Fortaleza EC currently occupy 4th and Avai sit 17th, and the context adds genuine weight to what is already an intriguing fixture. The hosts have been steady if unspectacular, DWWDW in their last five reflecting a win rate of 46.43%. The visitors have been a mixed bag on the road, DLLLW in their last five and a win rate of 28.57% reflecting their unpredictability. Goals could be in short supply or plentiful — Fortaleza EC average 1.11 per game to Avai's 1.04, and that gap may dictate the rhythm of the contest. In his latest column, Paul Merson predicts the 2026/27 Premier League season at both ends of the table.

Pressing intensity will define the contest. Fortaleza EC will seek to win the ball high up the pitch and suffocate Avai's build-up, while the visitors will aim to play through the pressure and exploit the spaces it leaves behind. After the loss, a lot of questions began to be raised about their different approach to preparing for the game.

The fixture boasts genuine star quality. With Mikael topping the Serie B scoring charts at 15 goals, the stage is set for the kind of individual brilliance that can swing a contest. Discipline at the back and sharpness in front of goal will likely tilt the balance one way or the other. The Stoke-born defender was last named in a senior squad against Newcastle at St.

With the sides closely matched, the outcome may well hinge on which team takes its chances on the day. The weight of evidence points to Fortaleza EC, and a 2-1 win for the hosts feels like the most probable outcome. With positions in the Serie B table to defend and momentum to chase, neither side can afford to leave anything in the tank. And Fonseca does not place too much weight on the decision of Roberto Martinez to omit him from the World Cup squad in favour of his Benfica team-mate Tomas Araujo.