Flamengo can extend their unbeaten run at home versus Fortaleza to six games when they return to the Maracana on Sunday to face them on matchday nine of the Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A season.
The club from Rio de Janeiro come into this match having won four consecutive fixtures in all competitions, while Fortaleza remain the only winless team in the Brazilian top-flight, losing 1-0 to Ceara on Wednesday.
Match preview
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One of the most dominant teams in the history of Brazilian football have been relegated to second-best lately, at least in terms of major trophies, with Flamengo finishing second in the league and the Copa Libertadores last season, while starting this campaign as runners-up to Fluminense at the Campeonato Carioca.
Being number two is not good enough for a club that historically have captured seven Brasileiro Serie A titles, and Paulo Sousa will be under tremendous pressure to bring this club back to its former glory.
Sousa is the sixth person in less than two years to be in charge of this team, and at the moment, his side are three points back of first place in the league.
The Portuguese boss prefers an aggressive, man-oriented press, which suits a team like Flamengo just fine, as they have traditionally leaned towards playing a high block system, utilizing their speed out wide.
Last week, they were able to do something that they had failed to do throughout this entire domestic campaign, win a match after conceding first, defeating Flu 2-1 despite falling behind to a German Cano strike in the 10th minute.
In front of their home fans, Mengao have been stellar on the back end, conceding only two goals domestically at the Maracana so far, holding the highest-scoring team in the league, Palmeiras, to a mere two shots on target and zero goals.
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Fortaleza cannot seem to catch a break, failing to score at home for a second successive Serie A fixture on Wednesday.
As a result, Juan Pablo Vojvoda's side face a seven-point deficit to remain in the top flight for another campaign, with four teams to have to overtake.
Their high-risk approach is captivating to watch if you love aggressive and entertaining football, although it has not equalled many positive results, with only two points so far in 2022.
This is a team who are not afraid to commit numbers forward in search of a goal, with a tendency to overload their opponent's backline.
They have managed to create some turnovers in dangerous scoring positions, but their finishing has let them down, scoring the fewest goals in the league after eight games (four).
Their high-pressure system has sometimes become counterproductive, forcing numerous long clearances from their opponents, which has left them short at the back because of the number of players caught poaching higher up the field.
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Team News
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A brace from Bruno Henrique in this exact fixture last season enabled Flamengo to triumph 2-1, with Pedro assisting on the winner.
Gabriel Barbosa has four career goals versus Fortaleza, though he has not yet tallied domestically this season, Hugo Souza has two clean sheets and Giorgian De Arrascaeta leads the league in assists (four), although he will not be in the lineup for this encounter after being called up to the Uruguayan national team for international duty.
Rodinei and Barbosa will be suspended for this encounter, Diego Alves is questionable with a groin strain, Santos has a thigh issue and Matheus Franca is out with a broken leg.
Gustavo Henrique has a muscle problem, and Fabricio Bruno will not be available until the middle of July due to a foot injury.
Fortaleza could be without Renato Kayzer because of a calf strain, while Matheus Vargas might not be fully recovered from his thigh injury.
Felipe will not be available after receiving a straight red card in the 20th minute on Wednesday, but Hercules seems to have recovered from his thigh injury as he played 75 minutes against Ceara before being replaced by Lucas Crispim.
Moises was the last player to score a goal for Leao do Pici in the middle of May, as he, Ze Welison and Yago Pikachu are the only players to have found the back of the net for them this season.
Their only assists to this point of the domestic campaign have come courtesy of Juninho Capixaba and Silvio Romero.
Flamengo possible starting lineup:
Souza; Ayrton, Luiz, Caio, Isla; Pereira, Arao; B. Henrique, Vitinho, Ribeiro; Pedro
Fortaleza possible starting lineup:
Boeck; Capixaba, Benevenuto, Titi, Tinga; Pikachu, Hercules; Lima, Crispim; Moises, Romarinho
We say: Flamengo 4-0 Fortaleza
Leao do Pici seem to struggle to make in-game adjustments and change their tactics when needed, and their aggressive approach could leave them vulnerable in transition against a side who can score in bunches.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Joel Lefevre
