Flu Push Fogo Deeper Into Brasileirão Relegation Zone

By Lisa Flueckiger, Contributing Reporter

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – In the 34th round of the Brasileirão championship, Fluminense beat fellow Carioca club Botafogo 1×0 in the clássico at Maracanã on Saturday night. With this win, the G-4 remain in a three point distance for the Tricolor, while Botafogo was lucky that fellow relegation zone clubs also dropped points.

Four games before the end of the season the Glorioso are 18th placed and four points below the first club ahead of the relegation zone. Their chances of survival in the Serie A are still alive, but they will need to step up their game.

In the match on Saturday the alvinegro played erratically and often lost control of the ball. Fluminense was not much better, but managed to keep the ball longer in their possession and push into the attacking zone with precise passes.

They did the minimum necessary and scored the winning goal of the game in 29th minute of the second half through a header by Edson. The pass had come from Wagner.

Fellow Carioca club Flamengo beat Coritiba with 3×2 in their last game at Maracanã of this season. With this win, the rubronegro discard all chances of being relegated and secure a comfortable 8th place in the league table. Lucas Mugni had opened the score after eighteen minutes giving the home team the lead. Éverton raised it to 2×0 58 minutes into the game.

After 68 minutes Joel Tadjo scored for Coritiba, keeping the hopes of the guests alive. However, Nixon increased the lead of Flamengo again to 3×1 towards the end of the game. Joel Tadjo found the net shortly after for the second time, but Flamengo maintained their lead until the final whistle.

In the Serie B, fourth Carioca club Vasco da Gama lost 2×0 against Ceara. With this defeat, they forfeited their chances of becoming the Serie B champion, but keep their chances of a return to the Serie A next year alive.