Flamengo × Corinthians · Brasileirão

Flamengo host Corinthians in the Brasileirão Série A on Saturday 12 September at 01:00 BST. It is one of the fixtures the Brazilian calendar treats as an event in itself: two of the country's largest supporter bases, two squads assembled to compete for trophies, and a rivalry that needs no context to justify itself.

In a league decided over a full round-robin, a match like this moves the table on both sides at once. Winning banks points and denies them to a direct rival, which makes the derby a double round disguised as a single game. For Corinthians, leaving Rio de Janeiro with a result is the kind of trip that sustains a campaign. For Flamengo, home advantage is a chance to shorten the road.