Flamengo × Corinthians · Brasileirão

Flamengo host Corinthians in the Brasileirão Série A on Saturday 12 September at 01:00 BST. The table going into this round explains what each is after: Flamengo are 2nd on 51 points from 25 games with a goal difference of 29; Corinthians are 10th on 32 points with a goal difference of 1.

The two records are almost the inverse of each other. Flamengo have 15 wins, 6 draws and 4 defeats. Corinthians have 8 wins, 8 draws and 9 defeats, which is to say they have lost more often than they have won and drawn as often as they have won, and that helps explain a goal difference of just 1 after 25 games.

In a league played over points, a derby like this moves both ends of the table at once. For Flamengo, winning is how they hold 2nd place without waiting on anyone else to slip. For Corinthians, leaving Rio de Janeiro with points is what separates a mid-table campaign from a real fight for the positions that carry continental football.