Century-old rivals Flamengo and Fluminense face off in this weekend's Brasileiro match on Sunday, with both teams seeking to return to winning ways in gameweek 15’s clash at the Maracana after recent setbacks.

Fresh from defeats following their participation in the Club World Cup, the second-placed hosts and seventh-placed visitors are eager to claim victory in this 113-year-old rivalry, aiming to outdo each other in the upcoming Fla-Flu encounter. 

Match preview

In their second match after participating in the Club World Cup in the United States, Flamengo were defeated in the Brazilian top flight, losing 1-0 to Santos, ending a five-match unbeaten run.

Filipe Luis Kasmirski’s team secured four wins during that period, with their only draw a goalless encounter in Rio de Janeiro against Botafogo in May.

Losing at Santos in midweek and Cruzeiro's 2-0 victory over Fluminense mean Mengo have dropped to second in the division, three points behind the new leaders, despite having played fewer games than the side they trail.

Returning to the comfort of the Maracana, Luis's men will back themselves to return to winning ways at home, considering previous results at their stadium, where they have recorded five wins and two draws in seven games.

Only Internacional in March have breached the Evil One’s backline when playing at home, and Flamengo, who have scored 19 goals as hosts in seven games, aim to extend their current five-game streak without conceding in front of their fans.

Aiming to end the Most Beloved’s run without conceding are Fluminense, the fierce rivals of the second-placed side, who secured a 2-0 victory in last season’s corresponding fixture in the top flight.

However, Renato Portaluppi's team enter Sunday’s fixture after losing to Cruzeiro in front of their supporters, and Big Flu seek to recover from that loss by producing a response fitting the intensity of their rivalry with Flamengo.

That ambition is uncertain due to Tricolor’s unimpressive performances and results away from home, highlighted by just two wins from six away games, scoring seven and conceding seven.

Although they have earned four points from their most recent two away matches, Gaucho's team suffered consecutive defeats against Botafogo (2-0) and Atletico Mineiro, followed by a 1-1 draw at Juventude.

While the visiting side’s single win in four away games and season-wide results outside their home ground might cause scepticism among supporters, playing at the Maracana, where both teams are familiar with the conditions, should boost confidence ahead of Sunday’s Fla-Flu derby.

Flamengo Brasileiro form:

Flamengo form (all competitions):

Fluminense Brasileiro form:

Fluminense form (all competitions):

Team News

Luis has several players absent due to suspension or injury: Bruno Henrique will serve a ban on Sunday, while Ayrton Lucas, Erick Pulgar, Alex Sandro and Michael are sidelined; Leo Ortiz's muscle issue will be evaluated before this weekend's encounter.

Giorgian De Arrascaeta not only leads the home side's goalscoring charts with nine goals, but the attacking midfielder is an intermittent supplier with four, and the attacking midfielder, whose 13 goal contributions have come from 11 games, seeks more decisive contributions.

Unlike their hosts, Fluminense have fewer injury concerns, with the exception of Otavio, who is out for the remainder of the season with an Achilles tendon injury, while Ganso's muscle problem is expected to keep him out for several weeks.

Having come off the bench in the defeat to Cruzeiro, Kevin Serna, Flu Fluzao’s leading goalscorer in the league, could start for the fifth time this season, aiming to add to his three goals.

Despite playing in the side that conceded twice, Thiago Silva played commendably, especially in possession, as evidenced by his chance creation (three key passes) and long-range passing, completing six of his seven long-distance attempts.

Flamengo possible starting lineup:

Rossi; Wesley, Danilo, Pereira, Varela; Jorginho, Allan; Araujo, Arrascaeta, Everton; Plata

Fluminense possible starting lineup:

Fabio; Xavier, Silva, Freytes, Fuentes; Martinelli, Hercules; Serna, Nonato, Arias; Cano

We say: Flamengo 1-0 Fluminense

Matches between these two teams have mostly been low-scoring affairs, with two of the last three ending goalless and three of the most recent six finishing scoreless.

While Sunday's encounter might follow the same pattern, Flamengo are expected to scrape through and score the crucial goal to secure maximum points in this fixture.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.

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