Decision day! Corinthians and Flamengo enter the field this Wednesday for the first game of the Copa do Brasil final. The ball rolls at 21:45 (Brasília time) at Neo Química Arena.
The two clubs are in search of the fourth championship of the competition. Corinthians won in 1995, 2002 and 2009. Flamengo won the trophy in 1990, 2006 and 2013.
This is the first time that the teams face each other in the final of the tournament. In fact, it is only the second duel between the two clubs with the biggest fans in the country in search of a cup. The only time had been in 1991, in the Supercopa do Brasil. The single game defined the best among the 1990 national champions: Corinthians had won the Brasileirão, and Flamengo, the Copa do Brasil. Timão made it 1 to 0.
Timão has a full group for the final. Missing last Saturday’s game due to an edema in the foot, Cássio returned to training on the field and it won’t be a problem. VP must take to the field a team very similar to the one that has been playing frequently. The main doubt is on the right side of the attack, where he can follow up on Gustavo Mosquito or bet on Adson. There are those who believe, however, that Ramiro can win a chance among the 11, since he had a good game against Athletico-PR.
Dorival made no secrets and, last weekend, when team B won 2-1 against Cuiabá in Mato Grosso, he left all the line-up holders in Rio de Janeiro. Therefore, there is no doubt on the red-black side, and the “Flamengo das Copas” is on the field.
Corinthians analysis
The home team comes to this stage of the Copa do Brasil (Final) after having played in previous rounds with: Fluminense, Atlético GO, Santos and Portuguesa RJ. This is a stronger team when they play in their stadium, as in the last 30 games they have recorded 1 win, 6 draws and 8 losses as a visitor; against 10 wins, 3 draws and 2 losses in their stadium. The team comes to this match after a home win against Athletico PR by (2‑1). In the last 4 matches they played at home in the Copa do Brasil, Corinthians won 4.
Flemish analysis
Until reaching this stage of the Copa do Brasil (Final), the visiting team eliminated: São Paulo, Athletico PR, Atlético Mineiro and Altos. This is a team that maintains its performance when playing away from its stadium, as in the last 30 games it has recorded 10 wins, 2 draws and 3 losses as a visitor; against 11 wins, 3 draws and 1 loss in their stadium. In their last match, for the Brasileirão Série A, they got an away win against Cuiabá by (1‑2). In the last 4 away matches for the Copa do Brasil, Flamengo has a record of 3 wins and 1 loss. Their offense has scored regularly, as they have scored goals in 7 of the last 8 matches for this competition.
head-to-head
Direct confrontations between the teams put the Rio de Janeiro team at an advantage. Flamengo won 10 of the last 12 matches, in addition to drawing once and losing another. The defeat even came this year, when the Rio de Janeiro club lost 1-0 in the Brasileirão, with an own goal from Rodinei.
The Gávea team is also ahead in the games in Itaquera. Since the opening of the Corinthians stadium, the two clubs have faced each other 11 times, five of which ended with a victory for Flamengo, four for Corinthians and two were draws. The matches total 17 goals for the Cariocas and 12 for the Paulistas.
Both teams score – yes: considering the degree of importance of the confrontation between the two teams, it is likely that Corinthians and Flamengo will score goals in the confrontation.
More than 2.5 goals: we will probably have a winner in the match, so teams must score at least three goals in the game.
