For the seventh time in the 2017 season, Fluminense and Flamengo will face each other on Wednesday, October 25th. This time the Fla-Flu is worth the first leg of the quarterfinals of the South American Cup. It is scheduled to start at 9:45 pm (Brasília time).
Although the return game of the classic is also marked for Maracanã on November 1, the goal scored as a visitor will have a greater weight at the time of the application of the tiebreaker criteria.
Fluminense’s recent performance
The tricolor still could not beat the rival once. However, he has in mind the dispute between them in the Sula of 2009 when he managed to advance in the tournament with two draws against the red-black.
Thinking of Wednesday’s game, coach Abel Braga spared a string of players who are considered key players in Sunday’s game, 22 October, against Chapecoense, for the 30th round of the Brazilian Championship. Douglas, midfielder Sornoza and striker Henrique Dourado were left out of the duel. Everyone should come back as headlines for this Wednesday’s classic.
Underwhelmed, Fluminense was beaten by the Santa Catarina team 2-0. It was thus parked in the 38 points (nine wins, 11 draws and ten losses). It fell to the thirteenth position, closing the classification zone for the 2018 version of the Copa Sudamericana.
In the current season, the tricolor made its debut against Liverpool, Uruguay. At home, he won 2-0. As a visitor, he suffocated by losing 1-0, but guaranteed his survival. In the second phase, he had a quieter life. Again made his debut in his dominions and thrashed Universidad Católica by 4 to 1. Confirmed the classification when winning in Ecuador by 2 to 1.
The last step before securing his place in the quarterfinals was also against an Ecuadorian team and presented moments of drama. In the Maracanã, Fluminense beat the LDU 1-0. In Quito, was being eliminated after being hit by two goals difference when Pedro, in the final minutes, scored a goal. The 2-1 defeat was enough for survival thanks to the qualifying goal’s tiebreaker.
The current form of Flamengo
Sunday was also not the happiest for Flamengo. In Pacaembu, the red-black was beaten by São Paulo by 2 to 0. The situation of the club in the table, however, is much better than that of Fluminense. With 46 points (12 wins, 10 draws and eight losses), he is in the qualifying zone for the Copa Libertadores next year.
It was in this competition that Flamengo began its trajectory in the contest of continental tournaments in the current season. However, he ended up ” downgraded ” to the South American Cup by taking third place in his group.
At Sula, he made his debut in the second round against the Palestinians. He advanced without problems. He hit 5-2 in Chile and 5 to 0 in Brazil. There were a few major difficulties in the round of 16. Against Chapecoense, who had also started the season at Libertadores, drew without a goal in Santa Catarina. In Rio, however, dispatched the rival with a rout of 4 to 0.
To face Fluminense, criticized coach Reinaldo Rueda has two important doubts. The Peruvian striker Paolo Guerrero is one of them. With pain in the thigh, he was a last-minute embezzlement against São Paulo. He must undergo further tests to know the severity of the injury, but he is likely to be released.
Another question is the situation of midfielder Diego. He was expected to be among the starters on Sunday, but was put on the reserve bench on the grounds of muscle pain. He finished in the second half and will probably be scaled from the start in the classic. There is, however, no safety in relation to your physical conditioning.
History of the matches against Fluminense and Flamengo
The most famous classic in Brazil has already had an edition in the South American Cup. In the competition of the continental competition in 2009, there were two draws. The first, with Fluminense as the leading scorer, 0-0. The second, with Flamengo field control, was in the 1 to 1. The goal ‘away from home’ made the tricolor advance in the dispute.
This year, Fluminense still can not beat Flamengo in six classics. The tie was the most frequent result of the duel. It happened in the playoff of the Guanabara Cup, the first round of the Campeonato Carioca, by 3 to 3, result that served to the tricolor, that was with the trophy. Then in the second round, in the qualifying phase, the equality was 1 to 1. The two teams went to the decisive stage, where Flamengo took the best in the Rio Cup.
The other two matches, which decided the state title in favor of Flamengo. The rubro-negro won by 1 to 0 and 2 to 1. In the Brasileirão, the draws were by 2 to 2 in the first round and 1 to 1 in the second round.
PREDICTION: DRAW @ 3.10
