Fluminense, which is one of the fittest teams in Brazil, receives, in the Copa do Brasil, a Flamengo that goes to more
Fernando Diniz, candidate to take the reins of the Seleçao, and Jorge Sampaoli will experience their particular duel on the benches
The Fluminense-Flamengo game this morning (at 02:00 CEST) is the most anticipated duel of the first leg of the round of 16 of the Copa do Brasil. Maracana will be the scene of a very open forecast derby that, regardless of its final result, will carry weighty consequences.
Who arrives better is the ‘Flu’, that still celebrates the 4-1 that he endorsed his eternal rival with whom he won the Carioca Championship. Since then, the Tricolor has shown the most brilliant offensive football in the country and perhaps on the continent. The historic 5-1 against River Plate in the group stage of the Copa Libertadores it was a statement of principles from a team that is willing to bid for all major titles.
For its part, Flamengo is struggling to find the pedal stroke. Jorge Sampaoli has chained severe setbacks, but the last two league victories have given some calm and credibility to his approaches. The ‘Mengao’ faces the game with important casualties, like that of his gunner Pedro.
One of the great attractions of the night will undoubtedly be the tactical battle between the two technicians. With Carlo Ancelotti (who is the dream of the CBF) increasingly far from assuming the position of Brazilian coach, Fernando Diniz He is winning integers and has the sympathy and support of an important part of the football public opinion.
Sampaoli, for his part, tries to apply his football ideology, pressure and good treatment for the ball, but received a psychologically sunk team which, under the direction of the Portuguese Victor Pereira, he lost four titles in the first quarter of 2023. The former Sevilla player knows that he does not have good time and is working on the evolution of his base team as he goes.
The rest of the qualifiers for the round of 16 of the Copa do Brasil are made up of: Palmeiras-Fortaleza; Santos-Bahia; Guild-Cruzeiro; Sport Recife-Sao Paulo; America Mineiro-International; at. Mineiro-Coritnhians and Ath. Paranaense-Botafogo.
