Botafogo stumbles and the advantage for Flamengo is 12 points; Check out the Brasileirão table

Thiaguinho is back at Flamengo after seven months on loan at Treze-PB. The 23-year-old striker reappeared at Ninho do Urubu this week and has been sharing records of his training at the red-black CT. He has a contract with the club until the end of 2025.

Treze's standout player in the Campeonato Paraibano, Thiaguinho scored four goals, even though he arrived after the start of the competition. In Série D, he shone even more, finding the net 10 times and becoming the club's top scorer in the history of the Brazilian Championship. Despite its good form, the team was eliminated in the quarter-finals and was unable to gain access to Series C, leaving it without a calendar until the end of the year.

With the end of the loan, Thiaguinho returned to Flamengo, but it should not be taken advantage of by Tite. Recently, the striker received two proposals from Portugal: one from Leixões in July and another from Estrela da Amadora in August. However, he refused both, opting to remain in Brazil.

Signed by Flamengo at the end of In 2019, at the age of 18, as a promise, Thiaguinho was acquired from Náutico for around R$7 million, with the club purchasing 70% of his economic rights. Although he came through the academy, he never managed to establish himself in the first team. This season, he scored his first goal for Flamengo in the 1-1 draw against Nova Iguaçu, for Carioca.

In an official note released this Saturday on social media, the president of Corinthians, Augusto Melo, criticized the CBF for changing the date of the second leg of the Copa do Brasil semi-final against Flamengo. The match, initially scheduled for the 17th of October, a Thursday, was moved to the 20th, Sunday.

The games in the Series A round, which would take place on the 19th and 20th of October and involve the semi-finalists of the Copa do Brasil, will be brought forward to the 16th and 17th of October. The change came after a request from Flamengo, which was rejected by Corinthians in an official letter when consulted by the CBF.

< Finally, Augusto Melo stated in the note that the decision harms Brazilian football in general. The first leg of the semi-final against Flamengo will be next Wednesday, at 9:45 pm, at Maracanã.

Check out Corinthians' note in full:

“Sport Club Corinthians Paulista expresses its deep indignation with the decision of the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) to change the date of the return game of the semi-final of Brazilian Cup. Such a decision, in addition to being an affront to the previously established calendar, disrespects not only Corinthians, but also the competition as a whole.

It is unacceptable that, in a competition of such relevance, decisions are taken favoring a club to the detriment of others, especially when it has already been widely publicized that Corinthians competes in three competitions simultaneously, and any change generates serious damage to our sporting planning. Respecting the pre-stipulated schedule should be a priority for the CBF, which, unfortunately, demonstrates, once again, a lack of commitment to equity and transparency.

Corinthians cannot passively accept that changes are made to meet individual interests, putting the integrity of the competition and the performance of the teams involved at risk. Our institution had formally expressed its opposition to any modification, as detailed in the letter sent to the CBF, and the unilateral decision to accept a request from another club, without considering the negative impacts on our planning, is clear disrespect.

This type of attitude hurts the credibility of Brazilian football. Corinthians will continue to fight for football to be treated with justice and equality, without favors or external interference that compromise the integrity of the competitions.

Augusto Melo

President of Sport Club Corinthians Paulista”

For the most optimistic Flamengo fan, who still believes in the Brasileirão title, Saturday (28) will be crucial in the search for the next championship. This is because the first two placed enter the field for the 28th round. In Campinas, Palmeiras faces Atlético-MG, while, in Brasília, Botafogo hosts Grêmio. Flamengo only plays on Sunday (29), against Athletico-PR.

GAMES THIS SATURDAY

Palmeiras x Atlético-MG, 6:30 p.m., Estádio Brinco de Ouro da Princesa, Campinas

Botafogo x Grêmio, 9 p.m., Estádio Mané Garrincha, Brasília

None of the home teams will play in their usual stadium. Palmeiras chose to play at Brinco de Ouro, in Campinas, due to Eric Clapton's concert at Allianz Parque, on Sunday (29). Botafogo, in turn, reached an agreement with Grêmio for the match to take place in Brasília, in solidarity with the club from Rio Grande do Sul, which faced difficulties playing at the Porto Alegre Arena in the first round, due to the floods in Rio Grande do Sul .

There is a great possibility that Atlético-MG will enter the field with a reserve team. The Minas Gerais club played in the middle of the week, beating Fluminense in the quarter-finals of the Libertadores, and faces Vasco, on Wednesday (02), in the semi-finals of the Copa do Brasil. Palmeiras, on the other hand, is fully focused on the Brasileirão, after being eliminated from the Copa do Brasil by Flamengo and the Libertadores by Botafogo.

Botafogo, driven by its classification over the São Paulo in the Libertadores, arrives confident to face Grêmio. However, the team from Rio Grande do Sul is on alert, after losing at home to Criciúma and remaining just three points above the relegation zone.

SITUATION OF THE BRASILEIRÃO

Botafogo leads the Brasileirão with 56 points, followed closely by Palmeiras, with 53. If John Textor's team loses and Palmeiras win, Abel Ferreira's team takes the lead on goal difference. Fortaleza, which faces Cuiabá on Sunday (29), is in third place with 52 points, while Flamengo closes the G4 with 45 points and one game less.

FLAMENGO de Brasília), at Maracanã, for the 28th round of the Brasileirão. After the elimination in the Libertadores, the expectation is that the audience at the stadium will be one of the lowest of the year.