Sink into the drop zone or help Flamengo: Vasco face tough task | OneFootball

Flamengo are fighting for the Brasileirão title, while Vasco battle relegation

Flamengo and Vasco are experiencing very different realities in the Brasileirão. However, this weekend, the teams’ paths may cross. That is because the team from Colina will face Palmeiras, Flamengo’s direct rival at the top of the table. As a result, Vasco are facing a “dilemma”: help their rivals in the title race or sink deeper into the bottom four?

With only 22 points in the Brasileirão, Vasco sit in 19th place. At the moment, the first team outside the relegation zone is Grêmio, with 25. Therefore, it is fair to say that only a win will do for Cruzmaltino to change their situation.

Vasco’s match against Palmeiras will be at Allianz Parque at 4:00 p.m. (Brasília time) this Sunday (23). Before that, Flamengo will already have played in this round.

When is Flamengo’s match in the 24th round?

Flamengo face Cruzeiro this Saturday (22), with kickoff scheduled for 8:30 p.m. (Brasília time) at Mineirão. For Fla, the equation is simple: a win will put Rubro-Negro top of the competition.

This clash wraps up a series of meetings between Flamengo and Cruzeiro, since the teams faced each other in the Copa Libertadores round of 16. The decisive match took place last Wednesday (19), and Fla came out on top, winning 2-1 with goals from Samuel Lino and Arrascaeta.

Now, out of the Libertadores and far from the top of the Brasileirão, Cruzeiro intend to focus on the Copa do Brasil. The team will play the first leg of the quarter-finals as early as next week. That is also why there is a tendency to rest players in this Saturday’s (22) match against Flamengo.

What is Flamengo’s situation in the Brasileirão?

At the moment, Leonardo Jardim’s team have 45 points in the Brasileirão, just three fewer than Palmeiras. However, it is also worth noting that the São Paulo side have played one match more. Because of this, the rubro-negro team are highly confident in their pursuit of the competition’s tenth title.

Competition table provided by Superscore

Author’s opinion By: Higor Neves

Flamengo head into the 24th round of the Brazilian Championship in a positive scenario, as they have everything in their favor to beat Cruzeiro and put even more pressure on Palmeiras. Before, the São Paulo team seemed secure at the top. However, all it took was for Fla to sort out a few details to get right back into the title race.

Fla need to take advantage of Cruzeiro’s mixed lineup and claim all three points at Mineirão, because we know few teams will have this opportunity against the strong Minas Gerais side. Therefore, this could be a decisive match in the march toward the Brasileirão title.

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