Coluna do Fla
·31 Januari 2026
Perfect round: Nova Iguaçu slip, Flamengo thriving in Carioca

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Yahoo sportsColuna do Fla
·31 Januari 2026

Flamengo didn’t take the field this Friday (30), but managed to score two ‘victories’. Needing to root against the teams in Group B of the Campeonato Carioca, Mengão saw Boavista draw with Sampaio Corrêa, and Nova Iguaçu lose after a comeback by Bangu, at Estádio Laranjão.
As a result, Flamengo, currently in fifth place, still has a chance to overtake Boavista and Nova Iguaçu in the final round of the Carioca. In addition, Madureira and Maricá, who both have two games in hand compared to the Most Beloved, are also in Fla’s ‘crosshairs’.
Botafogo – 9 points (4 games) Boavista – 7 points (5 games) Madureira – 6 points (4 games) Nova Iguaçu – 5 points (5 games) Flamengo – 4 points (5 games) Maricá – 3 points (4 games)
Just 15 minutes into the game, Nova Iguaçu opened the scoring with Vini Charopem, after an assist from Xandinho. After the break, however, Bangu came back firing. At the ten-minute mark, Patrick leveled the score. Shortly after, at 15’, the same player turned the game around with a stunning goal from outside the box.
Even with Maricá and Madureira still to play in this fifth round, Flamengo already knows some scenarios that guarantee qualification. The math could still improve, depending on what happens in the upcoming matches. But these combinations are already possible.
– Flamengo wins, Maricá loses to Volta Redonda and Fluminense + Nova Iguaçu draws with Portuguesa: FLAMENGO QUALIFIED – Flamengo wins, Nova Iguaçu draws with Portuguesa + Boavista loses by two goals to Bangu: FLAMENGO QUALIFIED – Flamengo wins, Madureira loses to Vasco and Volta Redonda + Nova Iguaçu draws: FLAMENGO QUALIFIED
The rest of the Group B round takes place on Monday (02). At Estádio João Saldanha, Maricá faces Volta Redonda at 5pm (Brasília time). Later, at São Januário, Madureira faces Vasco da Gama at 8pm.
The team led by coach Filipe Luís will do everything to get out of the bottom two spots in Group B. After all, fifth and sixth place will have to play in the relegation quadrangular, adding six more dates to the already packed Brazilian football calendar.
On the other hand, if Flamengo manages to climb into the top four, they’ll play in the quarterfinals of the Campeonato Carioca, keeping the dream of a third straight title alive. The decisive match for Mengão will be on November 7, at 9pm (Brasília time), against Sampaio Corrêa, at Maracanã.
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.








































