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

Fluminense enter Wednesday night's Copa do Brasil round of 16 second leg against Juventude at the Maracana keen to overturn a first-leg loss.

Last week's 3-2 defeat ended Flu's run of wins under Mano Menezes, but scoring twice means the tie is far from done heading into the reverse meeting.

Match preview

© Imago

After a succession of 1-0 victories, Fluminense were finally beaten under Menezes as they fell 3-2 in Rio Grande do Sul.

Despite scoring twice in a game in all competitions for the first time since beating Alianza Lima 3-2 in the Copa Libertadores, conceding three means Flu must chase the tie on home soil.

The home support can count on the team's improvement since the managerial change, even if the team has been built to give little away and rely on snatching one at the other end under Menezes.

It remains to be seen if that approach secures Tricolor a spot in the last eight as they seek to keep a third straight clean sheet at home in all competitions.

Having recovered from last week's first-leg defeat to beat Bahia 1-0 over the weekend, the 2007 cup champions seek another victory to book a quarter-final spot.

© Imago

Another marginal win will not cause a turnaround, but only force a penalty shootout, an outcome Juventude aim to avoid at the Maracana.

Goals from Lucas Barbosa, Rodrigo Sam and Diego Goncalves meant Verdao responded to the third-minute concession to Vinicius Lima's early strike.

However, Thiago Santos scoring in the game's closing stages to halve Fluminense's deficit means Jair Ventura's men head into Wednesday's match with a one-goal lead and not two.

They defeated Internacional away from home in the previous round, and a repeat for Juventude will secure passage into the competition's last eight.

Having not tasted success in the domestic cup since 1999 — the club's only Copa do Brasil triumph — advancing at Fluminense's expense means Verdao will start to hope this is their year.