The classic between Fluminense and Flamengo, valid for the 35th round of Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, started with a five-minute delay this Wednesday (19) at Maracanã. The smoke produced by flares lit by the fans prevented adequate visibility on the pitch. Os goalkeepers from both teams reported discomfort to the referee Davi of Oliveira Lacerda, who chose to wait for the dissipation before the starting whistle.
The match was scheduled for 9:30 pm and only started at 9:35 pm. Até at the moment, the score remains 0-0 in the first minutes of the first half.
Before the start, the teams held a minute of silence in honor of the former Fluminense Celso Barros sponsor, who passed away last Saturday. Os Tricolor players entered the field with black armbands.
Arbitration assesses pitch conditions
Goalkeepers Fábio, from Fluminense, and Rossi, from Flamengo, were consulted directly by the referee about visibility.
The smoke was mainly concentrated in the area close to the stands occupied by the organized fans.
The decision to delay the start came from the arbitration committee after a quick conversation with the captains.
Pre-game tribute
The minute of silence was respected by players, coaching staff and fans present at the stadium.
Celso Barros was the master sponsor of Fluminense between 2013 and 2019 by Unimed.
The black armband was worn by all Fluminense athletes throughout the match.
Lineups confirmed moments before
The Fluminense entered the field with Fábio, Samuel Xavier, Thiago Santos, Freire and Diogo Barbosa; Martinelli, Facundo Bernal and Lima; Arias, Fábio0 and Fábio1.
The Flamengo aligned Rossi, Wesley, Léo Ortiz, Léo Pereira and Alex Sandro; Pulgar, De La Cruz and Gerson; Luiz Araújo, Rossi0 and Rossi1.
Carrascal was confirmed as a starter after returning from the Colombian national team.
Ganso remained as an option on the Fluminense bench after recovering from injury.
Main bids so far
- Pre-game: Árbitro determines minute of silence in honor of Celso Barros
- Pre-game: Goleiros report vision difficulties due to intense smoke
- Pre-game: Apito kickoff delayed by five minutes to clear smoke
- 00′: Bola rolls on Maracanã with a zero score between Fluminense and Flamengo
- 03′: Flamengo tries the first quick exit with Carrascal, but Flu’s defense cuts
Situation of teams in Brasileirão
Flamengo arrives at the classic in the lead with 71 points and seeks to maintain its three-point advantage over Palmeiras.
Fluminense occupies seventh place with 51 points and is fighting for a direct place in the group stage of Libertadores 2026.
In the last five games, Flamengo has three wins and two draws.
Fluminense comes from a goalless draw against Cruzeiro in Mineirão.
Expectations for the first half
The two teams have similar averages of yellow cards per match (2.1).
Flamengo has a higher average number of shots (7.5) compared to 5.8 for Fluminense.
The match continues in progress with alternating dominance in midfield.
The classic remains balanced in the opening minutes without any clear chances of scoring.
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