9 November 2024. 00:00. Porto Alegre. Stade Beira-Rio
Brazilian Championship. Day 33
Internacional (Porto Alegre) vs Fluminense (Rio de Janeiro)
Where to watch : The figs
Players absent for the match : Fabrício, Ivan, Mercado, Lucca, Wesley – Fabio, Melo, Santos, Lele, Elias, Serna, Arias, Ganso
The last few days have clarified the championship table, particularly the upper echelons. It is now safe to say that all six clubs vying for places in the Copa Libertadores have distinguished themselves. While some will have a direct path to the group stage, others will have to go through qualifying. “Bahia”, “Vasco da Gama” and “Cruzeiro” have had disappointing performances recently, unable to compete with teams like “Internacional”; thus, they mathematically challenge for a place in the top 6, but fail in terms of performance.
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International
Internacional is 11 points behind first place. Closing such a deficit in six days seems almost impossible, yet second place is within reach as ‘Palmeiras’ continue to drop points. For Roger Machado’s men, victories are essential in the upcoming meetings against “Fluminense”, “Vasco da Gama” and “Bragantino”. The final matches of the season will feature three successive tough encounters against “Flamengo”, “Botafogo” and “Fortaleza”. It is clear that securing victories against these formidable opponents will not be easy, and accumulating 4-5 points would be considered a commendable result.
As for the upcoming match, the situation is clear. Any result other than a victory will be considered a failure. This determination stems from the vast problems on the field and at the squad level which hit “Fluminense”. These difficulties were exacerbated by an unexpected scandal involving Menezes and Marcelo during their last match.
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Fluminense
The current situation of “Fluminense” vividly illustrates why the club is fighting for survival rather than championship glory. Despite a competent squad and stable financing, the Rio de Janeiro team is desperately fighting to stay in Serie A. On the previous day, “Fluminense” faced “Grêmio” in a match that they absolutely had to win, concluding with a disappointing 2-2 draw. Unfortunately, the meeting was overshadowed, not by the score, but by the scandal. Marcelo, who joined the club last year and won the Copa Libertadores, displayed some surprisingly strange behavior. The Brazilian full-back, adored by fans, was about to come on as a substitute but started arguing with the coach, who decided to bring on John Kennedy instead. The matter did not end there. Mano Menezes expressed his displeasure with Marcelo’s actions, therefore sending him to the bench. The club management reacted strongly, terminating Marcelo’s contract, leaving him without a club.
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Another significant issue for Mano Menezes is that six players received ‘excessive’ cards in the match against ‘Grêmio’, preventing them from playing against ‘Internacional’ due to suspension. Melo received a straight red card, while Elias, Arias, Ganso, Fabio and Santos accumulated their third yellow cards, forcing them to also miss a match. In total, eight players are missing, in addition to the termination of the contract with Marcelo. Mano Menezes will therefore be without nine players for the match against “Internacional”.
Internacional vs Fluminense : Author’s prediction
Brazilian media have published some intriguing information. Apparently, “Fluminense” has not yet won a match without Arias on the field. John will miss the match against “Internacional” due to suspension. Nevertheless, I would still bet on a victory for the Porto Alegre club, who are gaining momentum and planning to interfere in the race for the top 4.
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