The midweek round of matches just ended was full of surprises. The fact that did not go unnoticed concerns the three teams that participated in the Club World Cup (Fluminense, Flamengo, and Botafogo), all of which failed to win. Flu’s defeat was particularly sensational, having reached the semi-finals of the international tournament in the United States. Just a few days after losing 2-0 to Chelsea in the semi-finals, Tricolor suffered the same fate against Cruzeiro, who continue to look down on everyone else in the standings.
Flamengo’s collapse was also unexpected, as they had shared the top spot with Cruzeiro until Thursday. The Rossoneri, unbeaten in the Brasileirao since last May, returned empty-handed from their away game against Santos: a goal six minutes from time by the Peixe’s most representative player, former Barcelona and PSG star Neymar, proved decisive.
The striker, who returned to the club where he grew up in January 2025, immediately made his mark in his first start after an injury that had kept him out of action for a few weeks. Neymar thus gave his team three precious points, which are crucial for temporarily leaving the relegation zone. Santos will obviously be counting on him again to try to get a third consecutive win at Mirassol, who are four points ahead of the Alvinegra in the standings. After all, when Neymar is fit, he has already shown that he can make the difference in this context, despite the not particularly high level of the squad available to coach Cleber Xavier.
Brazilian league predictions, Depay returns for the derby
Vasco da Gama is also on the verge of relegation, having suffered a humiliating defeat in Ecuador against Independiente del Valle this week, a 4-0 result that essentially ends their chances of continuing their Copa Sudamericana adventure.
In the return leg, the Bianconeri will need to win by five goals.
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Things are not going any better in the league: Vasco lost 2-0 to Botafogo last weekend, remaining one point above the fourth from bottom. Fernando Diniz desperately needs goals from his top scorer, experienced Argentine striker Pablo Veggetti, who is the third most prolific player in the Brasileirao after Kaio Jorge of Cruzeiro and De Arrascaeta of Flamengo. The former Belgrano player could make the difference in the delicate match against Gremio, another team that is certainly not shining. The third match of the four scheduled for today is the heated Paulista derby between São Paulo and Corinthians: Timao is not the favorite, but their midweek win against Ceará should give them a boost. Corinthians coach Dorival Junior will also welcome back Dutch striker Memphis Depay, who was suspended for the last match: with his vast experience, he could be decisive in a game that is likely to be decided by a single moment.