Flamengo lose to Fluminense, in trouble in Campeonato Carioca | OneFootball

With only four points from five games in the Carioca, Flamengo is practically eliminated

Who would have thought... The four-time Libertadores champion is likely to play in the relegation quadrangular of the Campeonato Carioca. The situation for Flamengo got complicated this Sunday (25th), with a 2-1 defeat to Fluminense at Maracanã, in the fourth round.

Thus, Flamengo remains in fifth place in Group B, with four points from five matches, outside the qualification zone. Moreover, the Red-and-Black have played two more games than most of their Carioca rivals. In other words, only a miracle will see them advance to the quarterfinals and escape the relegation quadrangular.

HOW WAS THE FIRST HALF?

Due to heavy rain in Rio de Janeiro, the match was very ugly, with the ball stopping in puddles of water. Early in the game, Léo Ortiz played the ball back to goalkeeper Andrew, but the Red-and-Black duo was almost caught out when the ball stopped short. With the match unplayable, the referee stopped the derby at the ten-minute mark.

The match was suspended for over 40 minutes. That’s because the derby was interrupted around 6:10 PM and resumed at 6:53 PM. When play resumed, Fluminense came back more focused and kept possession, but it was Flamengo who came close to scoring. At 26′, Carrascal found the net, but was offside.

At 37 minutes, Andrew made his first big save in a Flamengo shirt. After the ball fell to Serna at the edge of the box, the goalkeeper showed great agility to save the shot in the corner.

HOW WAS THE SECOND HALF?

At halftime, coach Filipe Luís made two changes. In short, Allan, who had received a yellow card, came off for Erick Pulgar, who had been rested in the first half. Also, in attack, Bruno Henrique replaced Pedro.

However, the changes did not work. Léo Ortiz tried to play out from the back, misplaced a pass in a dangerous area, and set up a Fluminense counterattack. In a quick move, Moreno exchanged passes with Kennedy, and Serna was left free on the left. Calmly, the striker struck hard with his left foot and opened the scoring at six minutes.

Flamengo remained unrecognizable in the match, and Fluminense killed the game at the 20-minute mark. After a corner into the box, Emerson Royal failed to control the ball, and it fell perfectly for John Kennedy, who, from close range, simply slotted past Andrew. So, 2-0 to the rival.

Filipe Luís’ team did manage to pull one back at 27 minutes. After a corner into the box, Vitão rose highest and headed the ball. On its way, Everton Cebolinha, who had just come on, nodded it into the back of the net. At 36′, the number 11 almost equalized with a shot from outside the area.

WHEN IS FLAMENGO’S NEXT MATCH, AFTER ALL?

Flamengo, therefore, takes a break from the Carioca and shifts focus to the Brasileirão. This Wednesday (28th), the Red-and-Black begin their quest for a tenth league title, against São Paulo at Morumbi. The match kicks off at 9:30 PM (Brasília time), with full coverage from Coluna do Fla.

MATCH DETAILS FLUMINENSE 2X1 FLAMENGO Competition: Campeonato Carioca, fourth round Venue: Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro Date: January 25, 2026 Goals: Serna 6’/2nd, John Kennedy 20’/2nd, Everton Cebolinha 27’/2nd

Fluminense: Fábio, Guga, Jemmes, Freytes and Guilherme Arana; Bernal, Nonato and Lima; Serna, Cannobio and John Kennedy. Coach: Maximiliano Cuberas.

Flamengo: Andrew, Emerson Royal, Léo Ortiz, Vitão and Alex Sandro; Evertton Araújo, Allan and Carrascal; Luiz Araújo, Samuel Lino and Pedro. Coach: Filipe Luís.

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