Bangu vs Vasco da Gama Prediction: Two teams from Rio meet in Brasília

The Campeonato Carioca is a feast of pure football, where neighborhood clubs take on giant clubs, and the interest in this competition doesn't stop in the Rio de Janeiro state. This match between Bangu and Vasco da Gama will be played in the country's capital, certainly for commercial reasons, which shows just how important the competition is.

This small club has won the Carioca twice; however, the last time was in 1966. This year, Bangu got off to a bad start and lost all three matches. The team will be fighting to avoid relegation and must pick up a point as soon as possible. This match will be challenging for the Beaver, as in 210 games against Vasco, it has won 40, drawn 40, and lost 130. In the last round, Bangu lost 3-2 at home to Nova Iguaçu, showing defensive problems.

For the first time in the Carioca, the Giant is expected to use its key players or at least a large part of them. The youngsters who played in the first three matches did well, picking up two wins and a draw. The team leads the competition along with Nova Iguaçu and Fluminense but with a better goal difference. In the last round, some of Ramón Díaz's regulars were used, such as Payet, who came on in the second half of the 2-0 win against Madureira. The Cruzmaltino will have good support in Brasília as a popular club. Vasco will be keen to stay on top of the Copa Guanabara, the trophy awarded to the best team in the first round of the Carioca Championship.

Vasco da Gama is the favorite in this match that will take place in Brasília. The team will field some of its best players, which did not happen in the first rounds. Bangu has, so far, proved to be one of the weakest teams in the Carioca, so I expect Vasco to win. As the odds for a Cruzmaltino victory are low, I'll add the number of goals under 4.5 to the bet.