Fluminense beat rivals, return leg set for managers' blackout | OneFootball

Sunday night (22) at Nilton Santos Stadium was a celebration for Fluminense fans and a moment of deep crisis for their rivals. In addition to winning the first leg of the Carioca Championship semifinal 1-0, securing the advantage of a draw for the return match, the Team of Warriors was directly responsible for the dismissal of coach Fernando Diniz at Vasco da Gama.

The superiority imposed by Fluminense on the field exhausted the patience of the Vasco board. Booed by his own fans since halftime, Diniz could not withstand the defeat. Without even appearing for the post-match press conference, he was dismissed from his position by president Pedrinho immediately after the match.

The rival's president made a statement confirming the departure and announcing that the team will be led, on an interim basis, by assistant Bruno Lazaroni. Diniz ended his time at the rival club with 17 wins, 16 draws, and 23 losses in 56 matches since March 2025.

Unusual scenario for the decider

The dismissal at the rival club creates a very curious scenario for the decisive derby next weekend, as both teams are expected to take the field without their main coaches on the sidelines.

While Vasco will need to move quickly in the market or rely on interim coach Lazaroni, Fluminense will not have Luis Zubeldía. The tricolor coach was highly agitated and ended up being sent off just 23 minutes into the first half after entering the pitch to protest a refereeing decision that stopped a promising attack by calling a foul on Robert Renan.

Serna’s stunning goal and a defensive masterclass

Even with Zubeldía’s expulsion, Fluminense dominated the first half, taking advantage of Vasco’s mistakes in playing out from the back. The reward came at the 31st minute, in a perfectly rehearsed corner kick play, Facundo Bernal flicked the ball with his head and found Kevin Serna free in the box. The striker finished into the corner of Léo Jardim’s goal to open the scoring.

In the second half, the team had to show the fighting spirit characteristic of the Tricolor. At the 17th minute, Bernal had to commit a foul to stop a quick counterattack from the rival and was shown a red card.

With one player down for much of the second half, Fluminense gave a lesson in defensive organization. The team closed down spaces intelligently and completely neutralized Vasco’s offensive actions, who struggled with slow ball circulation.

Now, the team only needs a draw next weekend to secure a spot in the Carioca Championship final.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.