De La Cruz leads Flamengo in ball recoveries and establishes himself as a key player for Filipe Luís

This Sunday (17), at Beira-Rio, Flamengo faces Internacional in the 20th round of Série A. The ball rolls at 6:30 pm (Brasília time), in a clash that pits teams at different moments in the table against each other. Mengão seeks to maintain the lead, while Colorado tries to get closer to the G-6.

With 40 points from 17 matches, Flamengo heads into this round in first place. Cruzeiro, with 37 points from 19 games, is the only team that can match the red-and-black team's tally this weekend. Internacional, meanwhile, sits in 11th place with 24 points and is looking to bounce back.

WHERE TO WATCH AND TIME

The match will be broadcast exclusively on Premiere , Grupo Globo's pay-per-view service, available with a monthly or annual subscription. The match, which marks the first leg of the Brasileirão 's second half, will be played at 6:30 p.m. (Brasília time) at Beira-Rio Stadium in Porto Alegre.

PROBABLE LINEUPS

INTERNATIONAL: Rochet; Benítez, Vitão (Clayton Sampaio), Victor Gabriel (Juninho) and Bernabei; Richard, Alan Rodríguez (Bruno Henrique), Vitinho, Bruno Tabata and Gustavo Prado; Borré (Ricardo Mathias). Coach: Roger Machado

FLAMENGO: Rossi; Varela, Leo Ortiz (Danilo), Leo Pereira and Ayrton Lucas; Allan, Saul, Arrascaeta (Carrascal); Everton Cebolinha, Luiz Araujo and Pedro. Coach: Filipe Luis

This Sunday (17), Flamengo goes to Porto Alegre to face Internacional in the 20th round of the Brazilian Championship . The match is scheduled for 6:30 pm (Brasília time), at Beira-Rio Stadium , and pits teams in different situations in the Série A table against each other.

With 40 points from 17 games, Flamengo leads the tournament, while Cruzeiro, with 37 points from 19 matches, appears to be the only team capable of achieving the same score in this round. Internacional, meanwhile, sits in 11th place with 24 points so far.

DUEL ON THE RIVERSIDE

The Brasileirão match takes place during the break in the Copa Libertadores dispute between the two clubs. In the first leg of the round of 16, Mengão won 1-0 at Maracanã. The return leg will be next Wednesday (20), also at Beira-Rio, at 9:30 pm . The winner of this continental clash will face the winner of the duel between Cerro Porteño-PAR and Estudiantes-ARG in the quarterfinals.

PROBABLE LINEUPS

The team led by Filipe Luís should enter the field with: Rossi; Varela, Léo Ortiz, Léo Pereira and Ayrton Lucas (or Viña); Allan (or Evertton Araújo), Jorginho and Arrascaeta; Luiz Araújo, Samuel Lino and Pedro.

Internacional, under the command of Roger, should start with: Rochet; Alan Benítez, Clayton Sampaio, Victor Gabriel and Bernabei; Luis Otávio, Bruno Henrique, Gustavo Prado and Vitinho; Borré and Valencia.

This Sunday (17), at 6:30 pm (Brasília time) , Mengão visits Internacional at Beira-Rio for the 20th round of the Brazilian Championship Series A. Flamengo arrives at the clash with 40 points in 17 games , occupying the leadership of the competition.

Cruzeiro, with 37 points from 19 matches, is the only team that can get closer in the standings this round . Internacional, meanwhile, has 24 points and sits in 11th place before kick-off. This is a crucial matchup for both teams.

PROBABLE LINEUP

According to the week's training sessions, Flamengo 's likely lineup is: Rossi; Varela, Léo Ortiz, Léo Pereira and Ayrton Lucas; Allan, Jorginho and Arrascaeta; Luiz Araújo, Samuel Lino (Cebolinha) and Pedro.

EMERSON ROYAL IS OUT

Coach Filipe Luís is expected to make changes to the lineup, as has been common during his tenure. Emerson Royal sprained his left ankle during last Wednesday's game (13) at Maracanã and is unable to play. Varela will be the replacement at right-back and is expected to take over the position.

EXPECTATION OF RETURN

Another point of concern is De La Cruz's situation. The midfielder has been sidelined since July due to left knee pain , but he's expected to be included on the bench, having traveled south with the Mais Querido team.