Fluminense vs Vitória Prediction: Which Fluminense to expect after Diniz?

Fernando Diniz couldn't resist the defeat in the Fla-Flu derby. The Fluminense board decided to sack the coach after enormous pressure from the fans after the club's worst-ever start in the Brasileirão. There are mixed feelings, as most fans are grateful to Diniz for the years of work that culminated in winning the only Copa Libertadores. Still, there is also widespread opinion that something should change at Fluminense. The Tricolor is in last place, and the priority now is to get the club out of this tricky situation.

The 1-0 defeat against rival Flamengo and the team's awful performance made Fernando Diniz's chances of remaining in charge impossible. Fluminense didn't register a shot on goal against Flamengo, which shows the extent of their display. The coach's style of play, which is very slow and relies on short passes, is a kind of Brazilian-style tika-taka that has been easy to cancel out by teams that press in the initial build-up phase. Assistant coach Marcão will take charge of the team, and a change in style is likely. Fluminense must play a more dynamic and objective football. It's crucial to beat Vitória to give confidence for this new cycle.

The Baianos ended up losing 2-1 at RB Bragantino after opening the scoring after 17 minutes through Jean Mota. The home side equalized just before half-time through Eric Ramires. The goal reassured Red Bull, which came out in the second half with more confidence and determination and turned the game around through Helinho in the 66th minute. Even so, Vitória's improvement is visible, with four games without a loss. Carpini's men are in the relegation zone with nine points, but it's worth remembering that in Round 7, they had just one point. The Barra's Lion will head to the Maracanã to exploit Fluminense's poor form and bring at least a point back to Salvador.

It's hard to predict how the players will react to Diniz's departure or what strategy new coach Marcão will adopt. In Brazil, it's common for teams to win or perform well when there's a change of coach, so I will bet on Fluminense winning. The Cariocas must win, and the fans will be on their side, something that hasn't happened recently.