Flamengo vs Fortaleza Prediction: Flamengo wants to defend the first place

The Série A leader hosts 8th-placed Fortaleza in a Round 16 fixture. Flamengo has 31 points, but Botafogo and Palmeiras have 30, so only victory matters in this game. Fortaleza is a good team, but its performance drops considerably on the road. The Cariocas have only lost once at home, in the derby with Botafogo, so they are clear favorites.

The Scarlet-Black hosted Cuiabá and surprisingly conceded a draw. The Cariocas had won 4-2 at Atlético Mineiro in the previous round, so few would have expected a result like this at the Maracanã. However, the Mato-Grossenses were very organized and nullified Flamengo's offensive moves. Cuiabá scored after 6 minutes and led for almost an hour. Pedro's magnificent header saved the Cariocas. Tite's team must beat Fortaleza to maintain the lead. It would be demoralizing for the Mengão not to win again at home.

The Lion beat Fluminense 1-0 at home in a game without many opportunities to score. The Cearenses controlled the match and won deservedly but without much brilliance. Luceru scored the winning goal in the 56th minute following a corner kick. Vojvoda's men had no problems neutralizing the Cariocas, a predictable team once again. Fortaleza will now go to Rio de Janeiro to face the best side in the Brasileirão so far. Getting the same result as Cuiabá would raise the confidence levels of the Ceará squad.

Few would have expected Flamengo to struggle so much against Cuiabá. Fortaleza is also an organized team and could cause problems for the league leader. Vojvoda's team will play without much pressure because it is the underdog. However, everything depends on Flamengo. If the Cariocas play at their usual level, they'll win. Palmeiras and Botafogo are only one point behind Flamengo, so there's no margin for error. A big club usually reacts well to a negative result, so I'm betting on Flamengo to win