Vasco count on star’s 20% edge to reach final: “He’s the decider” | OneFootball

The classic match this Thursday (11) for the semifinals of the Copa do Brasil not only pits two teams against each other but also reignites the debate about who is the best playmaker in Rio de Janeiro football. If we rely on the numbers gathered by the portal Bolavip Brasil, the fans of Vasco da Gama can puff out their chests: their number 10 has a statistically much superior performance compared to his direct competitors on the rival team.

+ DINIZ X ZUBELDÍA! Vasco and Flu clash philosophies in the semifinal

The 20% Gap

The direct comparison with the number 10 from Laranjeiras is the most striking. In 2025, the Vasco star has 16 decisive actions in 52 matches, giving him a goal participation rate of 30.7%. On the other side, the rival midfielder, PH Ganso, recorded only an 11.5% participation, with a mere 3 direct actions in 26 games.

Mathematically, this means that the idol of the Gigante da Colina had 19.23% more direct involvement in goals than his opponent. Even considering that the opponent played fewer times, the proportion shows that the Vasco player was much more effective and present in the final third of the field throughout the season.

Duels of number 10s, better for Coutinho – Photos: Divulgação / FFC and Lucas Figueiredo/Getty Images

Duel Against the Argentine

Besides surpassing the Brazilian, the maestro of Vasco also outshines the foreign reinforcement of the rival, Lucho Acosta. While the Vasco player has already scored 11 goals this year (3 in the Copa do Brasil), the Argentine, who arrived in July, has only found the net three times.

Although the opponent is experiencing a better collective moment, being unbeaten for eight games, the hope for individual imbalance is all placed on the feet of the number 10 of Colina, who comes to the decision with a “portfolio” full of numerical arguments to decide the match.

Coutinho also surpasses Acosta in the season – Photos: Matheus Lima/Vasco and Marcelo Gonçalves/FFC

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