Fluminense vs Colo-Colo Prediction: Two big clubs meet at the Maracanã

The current Copa Libertadores holder hosts Colo-Colo, winner of the competition in 1991 and the only Chilean club to lift the trophy. Fluminense was held to a draw away to Alianza Lima, while Colo-Colo beat Cerro Porteño at home on the first day of the competition. There's a curious fact about this game: the Chilean team's coach is Jorge Almirón, who was in charge of Boca Juniors in last season's Copa Libertadores final, which Fluminense won. It will be the Argentine coach's return to the Maracanã after that painful defeat in extra time.

The Tricolor has yet to get back on track since losing 4-2 at home to Botafogo in the Campeonato Carioca. That defeat put Flamengo in Fluminense's way in the semi-finals, and Fernando Diniz's side was incapable of overcoming the excellent form of the rival, which ended up winning the Carioca. The team is now in a four-game winless streak, including the Copa Libertadores opener. In Lima, the defending champion put in another below-par performance and was even losing against Alianza, which, in theory, was the weakest team in Group A, but a header from Marquinhos from a corner kick minimized the damage. Against Colo-Colo, Fluminense will have to up its game if it is to get the three points.

A 94th-minute goal from Cepeda broke the deadlock in the first round of the Copa Libertadores group stage against Paraguay's Cerro Porteño. The Estadio Monumental erupted at the late goal, and the three points won. El Cacique leads Group A and will go to the Maracanã to attempt to pick up a point against the trophy holder. Arturo Vidal, who now plays for Colo-Colo, made some provocative statements to the press about Marcelo, who faced Vidal several times when they played in Europe and Brazil. Let's see how Marcelo and his team react to the provocations of the former star of Bayern, Juventus, and Barcelona.

Despite the poor form, Fluminense is the favorite and needs the three points to recover the points lost in Peru. Colo-Colo will be playing without pressure, as it has already secured three points in the group and has no obligation to win, which could make the Brazilians' task more difficult. I'm backing Fluminense to win with a maximum of four goals scored in the game. It's time for Diniz's team to win a game.