Cruzeiro, Corinthians, Vasco, and Fluminense remain in contention for the coveted title of the Copa do Brasil. The thrilling matchups will kick off this Wednesday, October 10, with insightful commentary from sports journalists Paulo Calçade of ESPN and Victor Canedo, along with contributions from Eduardo Tironi, Gustavo Fogaça, Guffo, and Lúcio de Castro from the Lance! website.
In the clash between Vasco and Fluminense, all five journalists unanimously selected the Tricolor as the favored team heading into the semifinals. The current form of coach Luis Zubeldía’s squad has been deemed significantly stronger than that of Fernando Diniz’s Cruzmaltino. Fluminense arrives at the match buoyed by their last three consecutive victories in the Brazilian Championship against São Paulo, Grêmio, and Bahia. In stark contrast, Vasco is struggling, having secured just one win and suffered seven defeats in their last eight outings.
The first leg of this highly anticipated Rio de Janeiro derby will take place on Thursday, October 11, at 8:30 PM (Brasília time) at the Maracanã Stadium, with Vasco hosting the opener.
As for the matchup between Cruzeiro and Corinthians, opinions are more divided among the experts. Guffo and Tironi favor the São Paulo team for advancement, while Victor Canedo, Lúcio de Castro, and Paulo Calçade believe that the Celeste squad has the upper hand. Similar to the Rio clash, both teams enter this decisive phase with differing trajectories. Cruzeiro, under coach Leonardo Jardim, finished the Brazilian Championship on a high note, securing third place, while Corinthians, coached by Dorival Júnior, found themselves in 14th place, marking them as the lowest-ranked São Paulo club in the final standings.
The first leg of the Cruzeiro vs. Corinthians encounter is set for this Wednesday, October 10, at 9:30 PM (Brasília time) at the Mineirão Stadium. The return legs for both matchups will take place on Saturday, October 13. As the tournament progresses, fans are eager to see if the underdog teams can turn the tides or if the favorites continue their climb toward the championship.