Flamengo vs Vasco da Gama Prediction: Who will win the Derby of the Millions?

The Maracanã will be the stage for another Carioca derby between Flamengo and Vasco da Gama. The two Rio clubs with the biggest fan bases will face each other in Round 26 of the Brasileirão and could meet again in the Copa do Brasil final, as this week both qualified for the semi-finals.

The international break brought terrible news for Flamengo. Pedro, the league's top scorer, was injured in training with the Brazilian national team and will not play again this season after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his knee. The club will probably try to sign a replacement for the striker, a key player in the team. Nevertheless, Flamengo qualified for the Copa do Brasil semi-finals after beating Bahia 1-0 in the second leg. Uruguayan Arrascaeta scored the winning goal at 53' after an assist from Bruno Henrique. In the Série A, the Scarlet-Black is in fourth place, six points behind leader Botafogo, but with a game in hand. It's essential to beat fierce rival Vasco.

The Giant qualified for the Copa do Brasil semi-finals heroically. The Cariocas had beaten Athletico-PR 2-1 at home in the first leg, so they needed a draw. However, the Paranaenses were already leading 2-0 after 33 minutes. To further complicate things for Vasco, the VAR saw a slap by Rayan on an opponent, and the Cariocas were down to ten players. Just before the break, Pablo Vegetti, Vasco's captain, reduced the score and leveled the aggregate. The Cruzmaltino was brave, holding off Athletico's pressure in the second half, and the game went to penalties. Léo Jardim, who had already made some incredible saves during the game, stopped Canobbio's penalty to give Vasco da Gama the victory. In the league, Rafael Paiva's men are in ninth place and very confident for the classic with Flamengo to make amends for their heavy 6-1 defeat in Round 7.

In the last ten meetings between the two rivals, Vasco has only won once, in the Campeonato Carioca in 2023. In June, Flamengo beat Vasco 6-1 in the Brasileirão on the debut of coach Álvaro Pacheco. The Cruzmaltino fans never forgave the Portuguese coach, who left the club a month later. Since then, Vasco da Gama has improved considerably and is a stronger team. Flamengo could struggle as it has several injured players, especially in the attacking sector. I'm betting on a game of less than three goals that can cover several outcomes.