Botafogo host Gremio at Estadio Olimpico Nilton Santos on Wednesday in a Serie A Regular Season matchday 21 fixture that carries considerable weight for both sides. With kick-off at 22:30 UTC, the two clubs meet in the bottom third of the 20-team table, sitting in 14th and 16th place respectively.
Botafogo hold 32 points from 26 matches, recording eight wins, eight draws and ten defeats, with a goal record of 38 scored and 41 conceded. Their most recent five matches have yielded just two points, a run that includes three defeats and two draws. The last two outings have ended level, a goalless draw with Palmeiras followed by a 1-1 draw with RB Bragantino.
Gremio arrive in 16th place with 28 points from 26 matches — seven wins, seven draws and twelve defeats — having scored 28 goals and conceded 35. They have taken three points from their last five matches, which includes a 3-1 win over Chapecoense-SC alongside four defeats. Gremio head into this match on the back of two consecutive defeats, their most recent outing ending in a 1-2 loss to Vasco Da Gama.
The four-point gap between the clubs in the Serie A table gives this fixture a sharp edge. Both sides are in the bottom third of the table, and the standings make plain how tightly contested this portion of the season is for each of them.
In head-to-head terms, Gremio defeated Botafogo 5-3 when the two sides last met on 5 February 2026, a result that stands as the reference point ahead of Wednesday's encounter at Nilton Santos.