Fluminense icon Felipe Melo, efficiency splits Flamengo and Palmeiras

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Coluna do Fla

·24 August 2026

Fluminense icon Felipe Melo, efficiency splits Flamengo and Palmeiras

Flamengo lost to Cruzeiro in the 24th round of the Brasileirão

The gap between Palmeiras and Flamengo returned to six points in the Brasileirão. As a result, former player Felipe Melo, a Fluminense idol, said the league leaders are efficient. The commentator, however, does not see the same in the second-placed team.

— The truth is that the most beautiful football on our continent is Flamengo’s, and the most efficient is Palmeiras’. They are not at the top of the league table for nothing — said Felipe Melo, who added:

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— They are two very strong teams: one plays more beautifully, the other is more efficient. That is why, over the years, Flamengo and Palmeiras have always been fighting for titles — highlighted the former athlete on Seleção SporTV (pay TV).

What happened in the 24th round of the Brasileirão?

Mais Querido went into the 24th round with the chance to level on points with Palmeiras. However, Fla lost to Cruzeiro at Mineirão. Meanwhile, Vasco suffered a heavy defeat at the hands of Palmeiras.

As a result, Mais Querido remained on 45 points, six behind Palmeiras. However, Fla has a game in hand compared to the club from São Paulo. Therefore, Mengo still depends only on itself to win the Brasileirão.

What is Flamengo’s next match?

Flamengo will now have a week without matches because of the Copa do Brasil quarterfinals. Thus, Leonardo Jardim’s team returns to the field next Sunday (30), when they face Botafogo at 4 p.m. (Brasília time) at the Maracanã, for the 25th round of the Brasileirão.

As tradition dictates, Coluna do Fla brings all the details of Flamengo’s 2026 season. So, stay tuned to the website, social media, and YouTube. In addition, Globo (free-to-air TV), GE TV (YouTube), and Premiere (pay-per-view) will broadcast the match against Botafogo.

What is the author’s opinion on Felipe Melo’s analysis?

I hate when I have to agree with Felipe Melo, but Flamengo really does have a serious problem converting the chances it creates into goals,” said João Vítor Reis of Coluna do Fla, who added: “Against Cruzeiro, Pedro and Luiz Araújo missed chances. Besides that, only two of Flamengo’s shots were on target. Not to mention the fact that our goalkeeper doesn’t know how to save shots from outside the box,” he opined.

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