Preview:Fluminense vs. Flamengo - prediction, team news, lineups

A hundred and thirteen years after these rivals first faced each other, Fluminense 'host' title-chasing Flamengo in the latest instalment of the Fla-Flu derby in Wednesday night’s gameweek 34 Brasileiro encounter at the Maracana.

League-leading Flamengo could lose top spot if Nense beat them and Palmeiras defeat Vitoria, underlining the added importance of the match against their Rio de Janeiro rivals.

Match preview

Fluminense can no longer claim the league title heading into the 34th gameweek, but they would love nothing more than to derail their fierce rival’s march to a possible eighth top-flight crown.

Luis Zubeldia’s troops are seventh after 33 games, holding a six-point buffer over Bragantino in eighth; however, 51 points place Nense just two points behind fifth-placed Bahia and eight adrift of Mirassol in fourth.

While both teams are mathematically catchable, Bahia are the easier to supplant in the table, as Fluminense seek guaranteed participation in the Copa Libertadores group stage.

Their current position means they must navigate playoff hurdles before confirming their involvement in the continent’s most prestigious club competition.

However, one win in the last 10 against their Rio rivals magnifies Tricolor’s broader struggles against the enemy against whom they have lost five in the same timeframe.

Their prospects are not helped by a mixed run of results that have seen them win one in three, failing to score in two of those games: a 2-0 loss to Ceara and a goalless encounter with Cruzeiro.

Digging deeper, one would identify Tricolor’s broader goalscoring issues: Zubeldia’s team have either fired blanks or scored just one goal since defeating Atletico Mineiro at the start of October, a run stretching eight games.

Against their free-scoring ‘visitors’, one goal may not suffice if they are to snap a four-match winless run against Flamengo.

Filipe Luis’s team, on the other hand, have scored two goals or more in their past four league matches, netting twice in a draw with Sao Paulo (2-2), hitting three in victories against Sport Recife (3-0) and Santos (3-2) and five in a recent 5-1 beatdown of Sport.

Admittedly, two of those wins have been against already relegated Sport, but racking up five goals in their other two games remains commendable ahead of another pivotal week in the title race.

Flamengo enter the midweek round three points clear of Palmeiras, whom they could lose first place to unless they match the second-placed team’s result.

Given that the first tie-breaker in the division is wins — both teams are tied on 21 — a Palmeiras victory against Vitoria and Flamengo loss in the Fla-Flu derby would see Mengao slip to second with four games remaining.

While supporters might have been nervous facing another away trip, having claimed seven points from five on their travels (two wins, one draw, two losses), Maracana is home to both teams competing on Wednesday; Flamengo have stayed unbeaten at the ground all season in league play, winning 12 of 17 at the Estadio Jornalista Mario Filho.

With Luis’s team avoiding defeat in all four meetings with their Rio rivals in 2025, securing two wins — including a 1-0 victory in July — the league-leading ‘away’ side now bid to extend their sequence without losing to hold on to top spot and continue their march to a first Brasileiro crown since 2020 and eighth top-flight crown overall.

Fluminense Brasileiro form:

Fluminense form (all competitions):

Flamengo Brasileiro form:

Flamengo form (all competitions):

Team News

Joaquin Lavega and Ruben Lezcano are likely to miss out due to being on international duty with Uruguay and Paraguay’s youth teams.

While Facundo Bernal’s status is questionable, German Cano (knee), Ganso (calf) and Manoel (knee) are likely absentees.

Without Cano, Flu’s top scorer with six goals, the ‘home’ team must demand extra responsibility from Kevin Serna (five) and Samuel Xavier (four), the latter of whom is a defender, to come up trumps in the derby.

Flamengo have even more players absent due to international duty: Danilo and Alex Sandro are with the Brazil squad, while Gonzalo Plata (Ecuador), Jorge Carrascal (Colombia) and Joao Victor (Brazil U20) are expected to miss the Fla-Flu derby.

Luis must find solutions without the injured Jorginho (thigh), Allan, Leo Ortiz (ankle) and Pedro (broken hand) against their fierce rivals.

However, Giorgian De Arrascaeta returns from suspension after serving a one-match suspension against Santos for accumulating yellow cards, and the league’s top scorer aims to add to his 17 goals on Wednesday night.

No player in Brazil’s top flight has outdone De Arrascaeta’s league assists (13) either, underlining his dual threat of goalscorer and creator.

Fluminense possible starting lineup:

Fabio; Xavier, Silva, Freytes, Rene; Hercules, Martinelli; Serna, Acosta, Canobio; Everaldo

Flamengo possible starting lineup:

Rossi; Royal, Victor, Pereira, Lucas; Pulgar, Saul; Araujo, De Arrascaeta, Lino; Wallace

We say: Fluminense 0-2 Flamengo

While Flamengo’s recent two victories over Fluminense have been by one-goal margins, the return of De Arrascaeta and the lack of consistent match-winning quality for Flu suggest a hard-fought win for Luis’s team.

We back them to do what is necessary and beat Zubeldia’s team for a 22nd league victory, at least keeping their three-point lead at the top of the table.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.