The 3-0 victory over Bragantino on Saturday night (22) left Flamengo facing the goal: if they beat Atlético-MG next Tuesday (25), and Palmeiras, vice-leader of the Brazilian Championship, do not score against Grêmio, the red-black team will be crowned champions of the national tournament for the ninth time.
A success in Belo Horizonte on Tuesday, at Arena MRV, at 9:30 pm, would lead the Rio team to open a seven-point lead over their rivals from São Paulo, leaving only six points up for grabs in the final two rounds. Today, Flamengo has 74 points, and Palmeiras, 70.
Any other combination of results from the two teams would postpone the decision until the following week, when, on Wednesday (3), it will be the alviverde team’s turn to face Atlético-MG, while the red-blacks play Ceará.
Before the penultimate round of the Brasileirão, however, Flamengo and Palmeiras will compete in the final of the Copa Libertadores, in Lima, Peru, on Saturday (29).
Abel Ferreira’s team will continue to need to count on the opponent’s stumbles to return to the top of the national table, and will have to reverse the current bad phase, with four matches without victories, since beating Santos on November 6th.
This Saturday, it was 0-0 with Fluminense at Allianz Parque, the same result as the meeting with Vitória, on Wednesday (19). In the two previous matches, they lost to Santos, 1-0, on the 15th, and to Mirassol, 2-1, on the 9th.
The Portuguese coach indicated, after the draw with Fluminense, that he had lost hope of winning the Brazilian Championship. “I think we should channel our energy now towards what is next Saturday. We have a game in the middle of the week, we will prepare it in the way we think is best, but I think the championship is over,” he told reporters.
Filipe Luís, Flamengo’s coach, praised the psychological strength of his team, which had lost to Fluminense on Wednesday (19), 2-1, and avoided raising expectations about the next two matches.
“I only think about the game against Atlético-MG from now on. I’m very rational, I think day by day, about what I’m in control of. It’s still a long way off, it’s not the next game, the final. So, I’m just thinking about beating Atlético-MG.”
Flamengo has been at the top of the table for most of the season — 26 of the 37 rounds so far — and has 22 wins, 8 draws and 5 defeats in the championship. Palmeiras, in turn, was first for eight rounds, and has 21 wins, 7 draws and 7 defeats.
This Sunday’s Series B round defines the teams that will move up to the first division of the Brazilian Championship next year.
Rivalry of the decade
Next Saturday’s clash in the Libertadores reinforces the rivalry that marks the decade of Brazilian football and repeats the 2021 final, won by the São Paulo team by a score of 2-1, in a match played at the Centenario stadium, in Montevideo, Uruguay.
In the 2025 clashes, the Rio team has an advantage over the São Paulo team, with two victories in two games for the Brazilian Championship.
In the first round match, at Allianz Parque, Flamengo managed to win away from home, beating Palmeiras 2-0.
The reunion in the Brasileirão took place on October 19th, at Maracanã. Flamengo won again, this time 3-2.
