Vasco da Gama vs Fluminense Prediction: The Giants' Classic should be balanced

For security reasons, the match between Vasco da Gama and Fluminense will take place at the Botafogo stadium. Fluminense is in a better moment, but anything can happen in this Rio de Janeiro derby. In the 333 meetings between the two teams, Vasco won 121 and Fluminense 111, and on 103 occasions, the game ended in a draw.

The Giant qualified for the Copa do Brasil quarter-finals after beating Atlético Goianiense 1-0 in the second leg. In the first match, the teams had drawn 0-0. In the Brasileirão, Vasco hasn't won any of its last three games. Two defeats on the road to Atlético Mineiro and Grêmio and a draw at home to Bragantino have put the team in 11th place with 24 points. Vasco da Gama's main objective is to avoid relegation, and at the moment, the first team in the Z4 is Fluminense with 20 points. The Giants' Classic is crucial for both teams.

After losing 3-2 against Juventude in the Copa do Brasil, Fluminense could do no better than draw 2-2 in the second leg and is out of the cup. The winner of the Copa do Brasil will qualify for the Copa Libertadores, so Fluminense's chances of playing in the most important South American club competition next year are remote. The Cariocas are the holders of the trophy and are still in the running this year, where they will try to eliminate Grêmio to reach the quarter-finals. For now, the priority is the Brasileirão, with the team trying to escape the relegation zone. Thiago Silva's arrival coincided with four straight league wins, and salvation now seems possible.

It's a Rio de Janeiro derby, so any result is possible. There are no favorites, not least because the game will take place at Botafogo's stadium. Looking at the form of the two teams, Fluminense is on a four-game winning streak in the league, although it was knocked out from the Copa do Brasil this week, unlike Vasco, which qualified for the quarter-finals. It should be an even game, and I will bet on a draw.