Serie C playoff race heats up as Santa Cruz hosts Ituano and Paysandu seeks rebound

Santa Cruz entered its Série C playoff matchup against Ituano with a perfect record against the São Paulo side since 2020 and fresh confidence from a 3‑1 victory over Paysandu. Playing at home, the team showed a strong defensive record and is favored at odds of 1.35. Ituano, meanwhile, has struggled to score away, recording a goalless draw with Maranhão and relying on a recent 3‑1 win over Guarani to stay competitive.

Paysandu, after a 3‑1 defeat to Santa Cruz at the Curuzu stadium, turned its focus to improving efficiency ahead of an away game against Ypiranga. Striker Juninho highlighted the need to convert the team's ball‑possession advantage into goals, noting that the side sits third in the table with 20 points but has won only two of its last six matches. The club aims to secure a positive result to remain among the top eight as the first phase draws to a close.