Fluminense end defensive woes, keep first clean sheet of 2026 | OneFootball

The 1-0 victory over Botafogo at Nilton Santos, in the Carioca Championship, marked an important point for Fluminense at the start of the season. For the first time in 2026, the Tricolor finished a match without conceding a goal.

This achievement came only in the sixth match of the year. Before that, Flu had conceded goals against Madureira, Boavista, Nova Iguaçu, Flamengo, and Grêmio, accumulating a negative defensive streak.

Even while alternating formations at the start of the calendar, Luis Zubeldía's team is beginning to show signs of improvement in the sector. It is worth remembering that last season, after the coach's arrival, Fluminense went through a process of defensive reorganization and became a more consistent team at the back.

The triumph in the classic could represent a turning point for the Tricolor's defensive system, especially on the eve of a decisive sequence of games.

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