Vasco have an edge this Sunday against Fluminense

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Papo na Colina

·21 febbraio 2026

Vasco have an edge this Sunday against Fluminense

Vasco is the only Rio rival that has managed to defeat Fluminense under the command of Luis Zubeldía. On the eve of the Campeonato Carioca semifinal, the recent record puts the Cruz-Maltino as the main obstacle for the Argentine coach in Rio football.

Since taking charge of the Tricolor, Zubeldía has faced all the state rivals, but only Vasco has managed to overcome him. In direct confrontations against the team led by Fernando Diniz, there have been three matches: two defeats and only one victory.

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One of the most notable losses happened in the Copa do Brasil. After losing the first match and winning the second, Fluminense ended up eliminated on penalties by Vasco. The other defeat was recorded in last season’s Campeonato Brasileiro Série A.

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Luís Zubeldía tries to improve his record with Fluminense against Vasco – Photo: Marcelo Gonçalves / Fluminense

Numbers contrast with record against Flamengo and Botafogo

The contrast becomes clear when analyzing the matches against the other major rivals. Against Flamengo and Botafogo, Zubeldía has five games and five wins.

There were two victories over the Rubro-Negro (one last season and another this year) and three triumphs over the Alvinegro, two in 2026 and one in 2025.

The defeats to Vasco directly impact the coach’s overall performance at Fluminense. Interestingly, both setbacks happened at Maracanã, with Vasco as the home team. In the other 16 home games, Zubeldía achieved 16 victories.

Since arriving at the club, the coach has played 28 matches, with 19 wins, four draws, and five losses — two of which were precisely against Vasco.

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Luis Zubeldía apprehensive | Fluminense vs Botafogo — Photo: André Durão

On the eve of the new clash, Zubeldía commented on the classic:

“These are different matches… It’s a classic, it’s 180 minutes again. Let’s play a good match as we have been doing. Different contexts… What’s certain is that the team has been responding despite the contexts. That’s always good. That’s our wish. We want to move forward. I think the first match will be here. We want to play a very good first few minutes and then we’ll see about the other 90 minutes.”

This Sunday’s match (22nd), at 6pm, at Estádio Nilton Santos, once again puts Vasco as a decisive test for the Argentine coach — and as recent history shows, an opponent that tends to complicate his plans.

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