Flamengo vs Botafogo Prediction: There's another Carioca classic at the Maracanã

After the Millions Classic with Vasco da Gama a few days ago, Flamengo now has the Rivalry Classic to play in the legendary stadium. The two teams have met 346 times, with Flamengo winning 37% of the matches compared to Botafogo winning 30%. The teams drew 33% of their meetings. There have been 128 wins for the Scarlet-Black and 105 for the Glorious. The Mengão's advantage has increased recently. Flamengo has won seven in the last ten games and lost just two.

The 0-0 draw with Vasco da Gama tasted like a bitter defeat for Flamengo. Gabriel Barbosa missed a penalty a few minutes from the end of the game, shooting weakly only for Léo Jardim to make an easy save. Tite's team struggled a lot in the match, never managing to penetrate the rival's area with much danger. For its part, the Cruzmaltino had at least two chances saved on the line by Flamengo defenders. The Scarlet-Black is in sixth place with nine points but has one game in hand over its closest rivals in the standings, including second-placed Botafogo, which has eleven points.

The Lone Star team is just behind leader Fluminense but has drawn its last two games, both at home. Modest clubs Portuguesa RJ and Nova Iguaçu managed to steal points at the Nilton Santos, which doesn't bode well for Botafogo. A loss to rival Flamengo could mean losing several places, as only two points separate second and eighth in the standings. As mentioned earlier, Botafogo's recent record against Flamengo is poor, and last season, the Glorioso's defeat at home to the Mengão was the beginning of the club's downfall in the horrible second half of the season.

In the last five Carioca matches, Flamengo has always beaten Botafogo and has to be considered the favorite, playing at home. Against Vasco da Gama, Flamengo was also leading the odds at the bookmakers, but fortunately, I decided to bet on a Double Chance for Vasco. This time, I will bet on a Flamengo victory.