Sao Paulo closes matchday 31 of the Brazilian football against Cruzeiro at home. James would be a starter to overcome the inconsistency that has them in the middle of the table.
One point out of six was the result for the São Paulo team away from home against Palmeiras and Paranaense in their last two matches. They dropped to 12th place and are struggling to reach the safety barrier from the threat of relegation. They have an advantage, but lacks consistency in their campaign.
In this match, they will be playing at home again. In their stadium, they have won 10 out of 15 matches, drew two, and lost three. They have scored 26 goals and conceded two. Those numbers support their favoritism against Cruzeiro.
James would be the most experienced attacker for this match. In the absence of the injured Jonathan Calleri and Lucas Moura, his expertise will help replicate the performance from two weeks ago with the 3-0 victory over Gremio. The Colombian was the standout player with two assists.
Manager Dorival would start him after giving him 17 minutes in the 1-1 draw against Paranaense. This afternoon, he would be in midfield alongside Rodrigo Nestor and Michel Araújo to provide for two forwards, Luciano and Erison.
The Colombian has played 10 matches, starting in seven and coming off the bench in three. In 513 minutes, he has scored one goal.
Cruzeiro has improved with two consecutive victories. They have created some distance from the relegation zone, and if they add another win in Sao Paulo, they can surpass the home team in the Brasileirao table.
The match will be at 6:00 PM.
According to the bookmaker Rushbet.co, the team of the Colombian player is the favorite in this match, with odds of 1.70, while Cruzeiro pays 4.70 and a draw 3.25.
Possible lineups
Sao Paulo: Rafael; Rafinha, Arboleda, Beraldo, Caio Paulista; Pablo Maia, Michel Araújo, Rodrigo Nestor, James; Luciano, Erison.
Cruzeiro: Rafael Cabral; William, Luciano Castán, Neris, Marlon; Matheus Jussa, Filipe Machado, Lucas Silva; Matheus Pereira, Arthur Gomes, Bruno Rodrigues.