Mano Menezes didn't win in classics this year and Flamengo wants to keep writing

O Flamengo starts the week completely focused on the classic against Fluminense, which takes place this Thursday (17th), at 8pm, at Maracanã, for the 30th round of the Brazilian. The match is an opportunity for Mengão to not only sink their rival into the relegation zone, but also increase Mano Menezes' negative record in classics.

In command of Fluminense since July, Mano Menezes suffered defeats in both classics he played. The first was a 2-0 defeat against Vasco, in the 22nd round of the Brasileirão, and the second, a 1-0 defeat to Botafogo, with a goal in the last minute, in the 27th round. A new defeat for Flamengo would sanctify a year in which the coach would have lost for all the great Rio rivals.

Despite having more ball possession and shots in the defeats against Vasco and Botafogo, Mano's team was unable to find the net . The lack of efficiency has been a problem, aggravated by the absences in the attack that Fluminense will face in FLAxFLU, in addition to a defense that proved vulnerable when trying to press.

This scenario is even more discouraging when looking at Fluminense's recent record against Flamengo. In the last eight meetings, Tricolor has accumulated four defeats and four draws, with three of the defeats occurring this year.

This week's FLAxFLU could still make 2024 Fluminense's worst season in classics since 2013, when the team suffered eight defeats and managed just three draws in 11 games. This year, there are already seven defeats, two draws and justone victory in regional clashes.

Adding these results to Fluminense's current position in 16th place in the table and Flamengo's history of 61% success against teams from Mano Menezes, Rubro-Negro has a clear chance of pushing their rival back to the relegation zone. In his career, Mano Menezes lost 15 times, drew five and won just seven matches against Flamengo.

Flamengo's preparation for the classic

After a day off on Sunday (13), Flamengo's squad will perform again this Monday (14) and return to training to face Fluminense. Filipe Luís led four training sessions last week and will have three more activities before the classic.

FLAxFLU goes beyond the chance to put its rival back in the relegation zone. For Flamengo, it is also an opportunity to keep the dream of fighting for the title alive. With 51 points and 10 games remaining (one more than the G4 competitors), Rubro-Negro needs to close a nine-point gap to the leader. The team is riding on two consecutive victories, against Athletico-PR and Bahia, and is looking to continue on the rise.