Flamengo vs Sao Paulo - prediction, team news, lineups

Flamengo and Sao Paulo conscionable connected Sunday, July 26, astatine 10:30pm (UK time) astatine the Maracana successful the 20th circular of the Brasileiro, with the fixture opening the 2nd fractional of the contention and marking Flamengo's reunion with their supporters pursuing the interruption for the World Cup.

Flamengo get connected the backmost of a 4-0 thrashing of Chapecoense and beryllium 2nd with 37 points from 18 matches (11 wins, 4 draws, 3 defeats), 7 down leaders Palmeiras, who inactive person a crippled successful manus against Mirassol from circular four, portion Sao Paulo person gone six games without a triumph and slipped to 12th with 25 points from 19 rounds, having won seven, drawn 4 and mislaid eight.

Match preview

Flamengo returned from the World Cup interruption with authority, thrashing bottom-of-the-table Chapecoense 4-0 astatine the Arena Conda past Wednesday acknowledgment to 2 goals from Pedro, 1 from Lorran and an ain extremity from Rafael Thyere.

The Rio de Janeiro broadside went 2-0 up earlier fractional clip and past managed the crippled earlier extending their pb successful the 2nd half.

The main talking constituent of the nighttime was the instrumentality of Arrascaeta, who came connected successful the 2nd fractional to amusement helium is adjacent to reclaiming his starting spot aft 3 months retired with injuries to his collarbone and calf.

There was concern, however, implicit Gonzalo Plata, who felt symptom successful his close genu during the archetypal fractional and was replaced by Lorran, the antheral who took his accidental and scored, leaving the Ecuadorian's availability for Sunday uncertain, portion De La Cruz, rested successful Chapeco due to the fact that of the synthetic pitch, trained usually and volition beryllium an option.

For Sao Paulo, the representation is 1 of turmoil aft they played their 19th-round fixture astatine the Estadio Cicero de Souza Marques successful Braganca Paulista, since the MorumBIS was booked for Harry Styles concerts, with Dorival Junior's broadside taking the pb against Athletico-PR earlier fractional clip done Artur to assistance the spirits of the travelling fans.

However, Leozinho scored doubly successful nether six minutes astatine the commencement of the 2nd fractional to crook the crippled astir to 2-1, sending Athletico-PR backmost to Parana with each 3 points and leaving the Tricolor successful a large crisis.

Dorival Junior, Sao Paulo's 3rd manager successful 2026 aft Hernan Crespo and Roger Machado, has inactive not managed to halt the team's dip successful form, and with nary motion of betterment adjacent aft the World Cup break, the spread to Bahia, who inhabit the last Libertadores qualification spot, already stands astatine 5 points, leaving Sao Paulo's people of Copa Libertadores qualification looking progressively distant.

In the reverse fixture, Sao Paulo bushed Flamengo 2-1 astatine the MorumBIS connected the opening play of the Brasileiro done goals from Luciano and Danielzinho, with Plata pulling 1 backmost for Flamengo earlier Jorginho was sent disconnected successful stoppage time, though contempt that defeat, Flamengo stay firmly successful the rubric race, six points down leaders Palmeiras, who person a crippled successful hand.

Sao Paulo, meanwhile, person been successful freefall since Hernan Crespo's departure, having already been eliminated from the Copa bash Brasil by Juventude, leaving the Copa Sudamericana, wherever they await their last-16 hostile from the necktie betwixt Gremio and Bolivar, arsenic their lone remaining way to silverware successful 2026.

Flamengo Brasileiro form:

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Flamengo signifier (all competitions):

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Sao Paulo Brasileiro form:

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Sao Paulo signifier (all competitions):

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Team News

Flamengo person astatine slightest 4 confirmed absentees: Carrascal volition service the 3rd and last lucifer of his STJD suspension pursuing his reddish paper against Palmeiras successful May, Lucas Paqueta was injured connected planetary work with Brazil astatine the World Cup and is presently doing fieldwork with the physiotherapy squad with nary contiguous instrumentality date, Luiz Araujo is being treated for a near genu wounded that volition not necessitate surgery, and Leo Ortiz, who has been recovering from injury, should beryllium included successful the squad.

Arrascaeta, who came connected good successful Chapeco and had 3 other days to physique up his fitness, is pushing for a starting role, portion De La Cruz, rested connected Wednesday due to the fact that of the synthetic transportation astatine the Arena Conda, returns to the broadside and should instrumentality up his spot successful midfield, with Plata remaining a uncertainty arsenic helium is reassessed aft suffering symptom successful his close knee.

Pedro, Flamengo's apical scorer this play with 21 goals, 12 of them successful the Brazilian Championship alone, scored doubly successful Chapeco and is enjoying his champion spell of signifier this year, portion Bruno Henrique and Samuel Lino vie for the remaining places successful attack.

On the Sao Paulo side, determination was a further wounded stroke connected Wednesday erstwhile Rafael Toloi near the transportation successful symptom against Athletico-PR, with scans connected Thursday (24) confirming a strain successful his close thigh, adding to the lack of Lucas Moura, who remains retired with a ruptured Achilles tendon and nary expected instrumentality day this season.

Arboleda, reinstated to the squad during the World Cup interruption pursuing a spell retired of the squad for indiscipline, is acceptable to start, apt alongside Sabino, and successful the transportation marketplace the Tricolor brought successful guardant Victor Sa and Newton on with afloat backmost Aurelio Buta, who has been officially announced but is not yet acceptable to marque his debut, portion Alan Franco near connected indebtedness to Tigres of Mexico and Cedric Soares, Luan, Young and Paulinho person each been frozen retired with departures successful the pipeline.

Flamengo imaginable starting lineup:

Rossi; Varela (Emerson Royal), Leo Pereira, Vitao, Alex Sandro; Erick Pulgar, De La Cruz, Everton Araujo (Jorginho); Arrascaeta (Samuel Lino), Bruno Henrique, Pedro

Sao Paulo imaginable starting lineup:

Rafael; Lucas Ramon, Arboleda, Sabino (Osorio), Wendell; Pablo Maia, Marcos Antonio, Bobadilla; Artur, Luciano, Calleri

We say: Flamengo 2-1 Sao Paulo

Home advantage, the method prime of the squad and the instrumentality of cardinal players specified arsenic Arrascaeta and De La Cruz enactment Flamengo successful a comfy presumption to power the game, with Pedro, the club's apical scorer with 13 goals successful the competition, posing the main menace to the Sao Paulo goal.

Sao Paulo, adjacent weakened, inactive person Calleri and Luciano susceptible of creating information successful isolated moments, and portion the Tricolor are expected to conflict for astir of the match, they bash person the imaginable to find the net, arsenic they showed against Athletico-PR adjacent successful the midst of their crisis.

For information investigation of the astir apt results, scorelines and much for this lucifer delight click here.