Santos vs. Internacional – Brazilian Serie A, November 14, 2020

Internacional will be aiming to maintain their lead at the top of the Brazilian Serie A when they face an inconsistent Santos side at Vila Belmiro on Saturday, November 14.

Cuca’s men currently find themselves down in seventh place, although the congested nature of the table means that Inter is only five points ahead.

After assessing the bookies’ odds, I share my Santos vs. Internacional prediction and betting pick.

At first glance, the high price for the Internacional win (2.10) stands out to me here. With Santos (3.75) playing at home on Saturday, it feels like the leading online sportsbooks have boosted the odds for the away win slightly.

Let’s take a closer look at the teams.

In the previous round, it looked as though Santos was on their way to securing back-to-back league wins for just the third time this season.

Remarkably, the Black & Whites failed to register a single shot on target last time out, yet a Leo Ortiz own goal gave Cuca’s side the lead midway through the second half. However, the Bragantino center-back made up for his error by netting an equalizer deep into stoppage time.

It’s fair to say that last weekend’s performance encapsulates Santos’ season. The team has enjoyed some positive moments this term, but there has also been plenty of frustration.

Santos clearly missed top scorer Marinho last time out, with the winger suspended due to an accumulation of yellow cards. Marinho has notched up 12 goals and five assists in just 16 Serie A appearances this season. The team will definitely benefit from his return on Saturday.

The Black & Whites have only lost two of their last 14 league matches, so they are not on a bad run. Still, Cuca will be desperate for his side to discover some consistency.

A seven-game unbeaten streak – including four straight wins – saw Internacional cement first place in the standings last month. However, after failing to win either of their previous two outings, Braga’s men could find themselves as low as fourth by the end of Matchday 21.

Of course, it was always going to be difficult to maintain their outstanding run. A defeat to Corinthians a fortnight ago ended the hot streak, but many believed that Inter should have won last weekend’s draw against Coritiba.

It could be argued that the Red’s disciplinary problems have cost them points recently. Inter has had a player sent off in each of their last two matches, meaning the Porto Alegre club has now been shown a whopping five red cards in Serie A this season.

Needless to say, Braga must stamp out his team’s disciplinary issues if Inter wants remain at the summit and challenge for the title.

Having taken everything into consideration, I think the draw is the way to go here. Neither team has been overly consistent this season, yet both sides have continued to avoid defeat in important matchups.

With the second-best defensive record in the division, Inter will be tough to break down on Saturday. Santos has also struggled for goals of late, so this is likely to be a low-scoring encounter.