Flamengo vs Santos Prediction: Even playing in Brasília, Flamengo is the favorite

Unable to play at the Maracanã due to the Copa Libertadores final, the match between Flamengo and Santos will be played in Brasília. As Flamengo is the most popular club in Brazil, the Mané Garrincha will be packed with the visit of the illustrious Rio de Janeiro club. The Cariocas will, therefore, be playing with strong support from their fans in the country's capital. Tite's team saw the match with RB Bragantino postponed, so the last game it played was in Round 29 when it lost away to Grêmio.

The Vulture, now with one game in hand, has dropped to fifth place in the table with 50 points, the same points as Grêmio of Porto Alegre and three less than Palmeiras. The gap to Bragantino, now in third, has remained at two points as the match postponed from the last round was precisely the one between these two teams. A win against Santos is a must, as the battle for the top spots is very lively after the defeat of leader Botafogo. The Cariocas are about to enter a terrible cycle, so it's best to start picking up points in this round. Pulgar and Everton Ribeiro are suspended and cannot play.

The Peixe managed to draw against Corinthians in the 99th minute and picked up a precious point in the fight to avoid relegation. Santos is only two points ahead of Goiás, which heads the Z4, so it can't afford to rest. It won't be easy to pick up a point against Flamengo, who, as the big club it is, will be looking to bounce back from the defeat against Grêmio. A significant absence from the Santos team will be its star player, Marcos Leonardo, who has picked up his third yellow card and is suspended.

Even playing in Brasília, Flamengo is the favorite, as it will be well-supported in a big stadium like the Mané Garrincha. In addition, Santos won't be able to field the Brasileirão's second top scorer, Marcos Leonardo, who has 13 goals to his name. I'm, therefore, betting on a Flamengo victory with a maximum of 4 goals in the game.