FLAMENGO LEADS AVERAGE WITH THE LARGEST AUDIENCE IN BRAZILIAN

Back in Brazilian football, Neymar still divides opinions about his future at Santos . During a debate on ESPN Brasil, former player Zinho compared the Santos number 10 to Flamengo's Arrascaeta , which sparked disagreement from Zé Elias. The former Mengão player stated that the Uruguayan wouldn't be able to perform at the São Paulo club.

Zé Elias praises Flamengo's Arrascaeta in comparison to Neymar: "He works hard, he's a leader"

Zé Elias then responded, highlighting the difference in attitude between the two athletes: "But he won't be in the same position as Neymar, Zinho! He'll be much more involved in the game, he'll be a role model ... Neymar doesn't help. Neymar loses the ball and just watches. Arrascaeta doesn't do that. He works hard, he's a leader," he stated.

ARRASCAETA SHINES IN THE 2025 SEASON

While Neymar is still looking for consistency, Arrascaeta continues to be one of Flamengo 's biggest stars in 2025. In addition to assists and creative plays, the Uruguayan has also taken on a leading role as a goalscorer.

Currently, the number 10 is Flamengo 's top scorer in the Brasileirão, with 13 goals. Last Sunday (14), he even scored one of the goals in the 2-0 victory over Juventude , in Caxias do Sul, which ended a 28-year drought.

FLAMENGO'S NEXT COMMITMENT

With Arrascaeta available, Flamengo returns to the field this Thursday (18), for the first leg of the Libertadores quarterfinals, against Estudiantes (ARG). The match will be at 9:30 pm (Brasília time), at Maracanã , with broadcast by ESPN (closed TV) and Disney+ (streaming).

Flamengo Women have a decisive challenge this Wednesday (17), at 6 pm (Brasília time), against São Paulo, at Morumbis stadium. The match, valid for the round of 16 of the Women's Brazil Cup , will be played in a single game. Whoever wins will advance directly to the next phase of the national competition, which returned to the Brazilian football calendar after a nine-year absence.

São Paulo takes the field seeking its first Women's Copa do Brasil title . The Tricolor team comes into this match after defeating Vasco 3-1 away from home in the previous round. In the Brazilian Championship, however, the São Paulo team was eliminated in the semifinals by Corinthians.

FLAMENGO MOMENT

Flamengo , in turn, thrashed Operário-MS 6-0 in the previous round , with Mariane scoring a hat trick. Despite their recent strong performance, Rosana Augusto's team was eliminated in the quarterfinals of the last Brazilian Championship after being defeated by Palmeiras.

BRAZILIAN WOMEN'S CUP AWARDS

Despite returning to the official calendar, the Women's Copa do Brasil still offers significantly lower prize money than the men's. While the 2025 men's champion can earn up to R$101.2 million, the women's tournament title yields a maximum of R$1.38 million.

MATCH DETAILS

📅 Date: 9/17/2025

⏰ Time: 6pm (Brasília time)

📍 Location: Morumbis Stadium, São Paulo (SP)

📺 Broadcast: SporTV

PROBABLE LINEUPS

Coach: Thiago Viana.

Flamengo: Vivi Holzel; Monalisa, Agustina, Flavia Mota, Jucinara; Ju Ferreira, Djeni, Glaucia; Laysa and Cristiane. Coach: Rosana Augusto.

Estudiantes faces Flamengo this Thursday (18), at 9:30 pm, at Maracanã, for the first leg of the quarterfinals of the Copa Libertadores . The Argentine club arrives under pressure due to irregular results in the season and seeks to rediscover the good football of the beginning of the year to overcome one of the strongest teams in Brazil.

In 2025, the La Plata team played 36 matches, totaling 15 wins, eight draws, and 13 losses, with 42 goals scored and 40 conceded, a success rate of just over 49%. Away from home, the record is even more challenging: in 18 away matches, they have recorded just five wins, four draws, and nine losses.

On the other hand, Flamengo has maintained a solid performance at Maracanã , where they have lost only four times this season, only two of which have come against the main team. This makes the match even more difficult for the Argentine team, which will need to overcome one of the most intense atmospheres on the continent.

STUDENTS COUNT ON STRENGTH IN ARGENTINA

While performance away from La Plata is a concern, Estudiantes ' home record is positive. In 17 matches, they've won nine, drawn four, and lost four . This home strength could be an asset in the return leg, but first, the team needs to contain Flamengo 's momentum in Rio de Janeiro.

HISTORY IN THE LIBERTADORES

A traditional Libertadores champion, Estudiantes shares the title with River Plate as the most successful Argentine team in the competition and demonstrates experience in knockout stages. In the current edition, they lost only two matches in the group stage, against Universidad de Chile and Botafogo. In the round of 16, they eliminated Cerro Porteño after a 1-0 away win and a 0-0 draw in the return leg in La Plata.