The world famous Fla-Flu derby takes place in the Brazilian top flight this weekend as Fluminense host cross-town rivals Flamengo at the Maracana on Sunday. It's not just about the three points; pride and bragging rights are at stake.
The fierce Rio rivals are separated by just two points near the top of the Campeonato Brasileiro, with second-placed Flamengo leading fourth-placed Fluminense.
Fluminense know they can go above Flamengo with victory here in Rio and an attacking style of play is likely from them, despite the quality of their opponents.
The hosts are unbeaten in ten Brazilian Serie A matches on home soil, a streak that dates back to October 2022, while they have won five of their seven league games at the Maracana Stadium this term.
Fernando Diniz's side come into this game off the back of beating fellow top-six contenders Internacional last week thanks to first-half strikes from German Cano and Matheus Martinelli. Prior to that, they saw a four-match unbeaten streak came to an abrupt end by Sao Paulo.
With table-toppers Botafogo having a ten-point lead, Flamengo have a lot of ground to make up to even keep their title hopes alive as they look to lift the Serie A crown for the first time since 2020.
However, they have blown hot and cold away from home this season, winning three and losing three of their seven league matches on the road (D1), including a surprise 4-0 thrashing at Bragantino some weeks back.
The visitors played out a 1-1 draw with Palmeiras in the league last weekend. They then advanced to the Copa do Brasil semi-finals with a 4-1 aggregate victory over Athletico Paranaense in midweek, extending their unbeaten run to six games in all competitions. In fact, Jorge Sampaoli's side have lost just one of their previous 17 matches (12W, 4D).
Here GOAL brings you everything you need to know about how to watch, including TV channel, streaming details and more.
Fluminense vs Flamengo kick-off time
| Date: | July 16, 2023 |
| Kick-off time: | 3 pm ET/ 12 pm PT |
| Venue: | Maracana Stadium |
The Brazil Serie A game between Fluminense and Flamengo will be played at the Maracana Stadium, in Rio de Janerio, on Saturday, July 16, 2023. Kick-off is at 3 pm Eastern Time (ET)/12 pm Pacific Time (PT).
How to watch Fluminense vs Flamengo online - TV channels & live streams
 | Paramount+ | Watch here |
 | Fanatiz | Watch here |
 | ViX+ | Watch here |
The game will be broadcast live on TV on Paramount+ and available to stream live online through ViX+ and Fanatiz.
Team news & squads
Fluminense team news
Fluminese will be without the services of Vitor Mendes (special leave), Diogo Barbosa (knock), Alexsander (knee) and Jorge (ACL). Winger Keno is sidelined by suspension after being sent off earlier this month. The same goes for defender Manoel Carvalho, as he continues to serve his provisional ban after a positive doping test last month.
On the flip side, two experienced stars, Paulo Henrique Ganso and Felipe Melo, have both recovered from respective injuries and returned to training on grass.
Coach Fernando Diniz, had recently been named Brazil's interim coach until 2024, will have several new signings at his disposal, though, including Uruguayan playmaker Leo Fernandez.
Former Barcelona centre-back Marlon Santos has returned to the club on loan from Shakhtar Donetsk, but he currently serves a suspension picked up in Italy's Serie A when on loan at Monza last season.
Fluminense possible XI: Fabio; Xavier, Melo, Nino, Marcelo; Lima, Martinelli; Kennedy, Ganso, Lele; Cano
| Position | Players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers: | Rangel, Fabio, Eudes |
| Defenders: | Nino, Mendes, Manoel, Braz, Freitas, Marcelo, Jorge, Barbosa, Guga, Xavier, Melo |
| Midfielders: | Andre, Vinicius, Martinelli, Pirani, Lima, Arias, Marrony, Giovanni, Fernandez, Ganso |
| Forwards: | Kennedy, Cano, Lele, Alan, Jesus |
Flamengo team news
Flamengo have also been very active in the summer transfer market. After terminating the contract of veteran Arturo Vidal - who is linked with a move to Athletico Paranaense - fresh arrivals Luiz Araujo, Allan, and Agustin Rossi are all expected to be included in the squad travelling for the Sunday's encounter.
Bruno Henrique and Matheuzinho are injured. Gerson was red-carded during stoppage time in their midweek cup victory, but the former Marseille midfielder's suspension doesn't carry over in the Brazil Serie A; Erick Pulgar returns following a one-match ban.
Meanwhile, star striker Gabriel Barbosa was restored to the starting XI on Wednesday after recovering from an ankle problem and will likely start up top once again, flanked by Giorgian de Arrascaeta and Everton Ribeiro.
Flamengo possible XI: Cunha; Franca, Bruno, Luiz, Ayrton; Maia, Pulgar, Gerson; E. Ribeiro, Barbosa, De Arrascaeta
| Position | Players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers: | Queiroz, Cunha, Rossi |
| Defenders: | W. Franca, Bruno, Pereira, Ayrton, Luis, D. Luiz, Caio |
| Midfielders: | Pulgar, Maia, Gerson, De Arrascaeta, Hugo, Varela, Allan |
| Forwards: | Ribeiro, Barbosa, Everton, Goncalves, Araujo |
Head-to-Head Record
There's not much to distinguish between these two Brazilian footballing giants based on their recent head-to-head record, with each recording two wins, two losses, and a draw in the last five meetings. That being said, Diniz's side did beat Flamengo 4-3 in a two-legged final to win the 2023 Campeonato Carioca.
| Date | Match | Competition |
|---|---|---|
| 2/6/23 | Flamengo 2-0 Fluminense | Copa do Brasil |
| 17/5/23 | Fluminense 0-0 Flamengo | Copa do Brasil |
| 10/4/23 | Fluminense 4-1 Flamengo | Carioca |
| 2/4/23 | Flamengo 2-0 Fluminense | Carioca |
| 9/3/23 | Flamengo 1-2 Fluminense | Carioca |