Vasco and Fluminense will play the first leg of the semi-final of the Copa of the Brasil 2025 this Thursday, December 11th, at 8pm (Brasília time), at the Maracanã, The confrontation places Cruzmaltino as the home team in search of an advantage in the Rio derby. The live broadcast takes place on sportv, Premiere and Amazon Prime, with real-time coverage on ge.
The striker Vasco arrives after an irregular campaign at Brasileirão, while Tricolor maintains an unbeaten run of seven games.
- Main channels: sportv and Premiere for closed TV, Amazon Prime in streaming.
- Online coverage: ge with bids, statistics and free videos.
- Expected audience: up to 78 thousand fans at Maracanã.
Detailed broadcast of the confrontation
sportv shows the classic with a narration team experienced in Rio duels. Assinantes access in high definition in sports packages.
Premiere offers pay-per-view with multiple perspectives and instant analysis. The platform fully covers Copa of Brasil throughout the year.
Fluminense related to the game
Tricolor has announced the available players at Maracanã. Goleiros: Fábio and Pedro Rangel.
Defenders: Freytes, Guga, João Ricardo, Marcelo Pitaluga, Renê, Samuel Xavier and Meias: Hércules, Jhon Arias, Martinelli, Nonato and Paulo Henrique Ganso.
Attackers: Everaldo, Kevin Serna, Keno, Soteldo and Yeferson Soteldo. Cano does not appear on the list due to recovery from an injury to his right knee.
Official semi-final refereeing
Raphael Claus takes the main whistle at the stadium. The São Paulo referee records 15 matches this season with an average of 4.2 yellow cards.
Danilo Ricardo Simon Manis acts as assistant 1 on the sides. Alex Ang Ribeiro covers auxiliary flag 2.
Daniel Nobre Bins manages VAR for technical reviews. Alex Gomes Stefano serves as fourth official on the field.
Impact of injury to Cano on Fluminense
The injury to Cano’s right knee occurred during Brasileirão and requires prolonged treatment. The team’s top scorer with 18 goals this season is out until January 2026.
Everaldo assumes the central role in the attack and trained as a reference this week. The tricolor squad prioritizes offensive balance to compensate for the absence.
Luis Zubeldía has options such as Serna and Soteldo to maintain production. Outras casualties include Manoel due to left knee injury and Canobbio suspended.
Nonato is the only one hanging in the group for the first leg. The focus is on quick transitions against the Vasco defense.
Probable lineup of Fluminense without Cano
Zubeldía aligns Fábio; Samuel Xavier, Thiago Silva, Freytes and Renê; Martinelli, Hércules and Lucho Acosta; Soteldo, Serna and Everaldo. Replacing Cano with Everaldo preserves the offensive 4-3-3 structure.
Soteldo gains space after good performances in the final rounds of the national championship. The midfield with Martinelli and Hércules anchors the marking.
Training emphasized possession of the ball to explore the left side of Vasco. Fluminense advanced to the quarterfinals by eliminating Palmeiras on aggregate 4-2.
Vasco’s current moment in the season
Cruzmaltino ended Brasileirão with seven defeats in the final eight games. The 5-0 defeat by Atlético-MG in the last round exposed defensive flaws.
Fernando The club is aiming for the title that has been missing since 2011 with the support of the fans at Maracanã.
Philippe Coutinho returns to the team after serving suspension. The complete squad prioritizes compaction to contain the tricolor attack.
Absences and probable formation in Vasco
Diniz scales Léo Jardim; Paulo Henrique, Cuesta, Robert Renan and Puma Rodríguez; Thiago Mendes, Barros and Coutinho; Nuno Moreira, Andrés Gómez and Rayan. Lucas Piton is absent due to an injury to his left knee, out of the rest of the season.
Jair continues to have a problem with his right knee and Adson with a fractured tibia. Garré makes a physical transition and does not enter the list of those called up.
The coach tested defensive variations in recent teams. Rayan assumes speed on the wings to apply pressure from the opening whistle.
History and expectations in the classic
The rivals faced each other three times in 2025, with even scores. Fluminense won the first round of Brasileirão 2-1.
Vasco reacted in the return with a 2-0 victory over their opponents. Pela Copa of Brasil, recent history favors Tricolor in knockouts.
The return game takes place on Sunday, December 14th, at 8:30 pm, at Maracanã. The fans fill the stadium to influence the result from the opening minutes.
