Overview
- Kickoff is 20:00 Brasília at Arena Castelão with live coverage on Premiere, and Ceará reported a sellout with more than 42,000 expected, including about 33,000 home fans.
- Ceará began the round 12th on 38 points and also chase a Sul-Americana spot, while Fortaleza entered 18th on 28 and needs victory to push toward leaving the Z-4.
- Team news includes suspensions for Ceará’s Marllon and Fortaleza’s Pochettino, and Fortaleza’s Matheus Pereira could return as Lucas Crispim is lined up to feature.
- Wilton Pereira Sampaio is the referee, with assistants Bruno Raphael Pires and Leone Carvalho Rocha and VAR Carlos Eduardo Nunes Braga.
- Recent history tilts toward Ceará, who lead the top-flight series 7–2 since 2019 and won the July meeting 1–0.