A pair of undefeated teams will face each other on Sunday for the third time this month in all competitions, as Bragantino host Fluminense at Estadio Nabi Abi Chedid in the Brasileiro Serie A.
Massa Bruta will have revenge on their minds as they welcome Flu to Sao Paulo, having been eliminated by the team from Rio de Janeiro earlier this week in the third round of the Copa do Brasil, 3-2 on aggregate.
Match preview
Since changing their team name to "Red Bull Bragantino" in 2019, things have only got better for the Brazilian side.
In 2019 they were crowned champions of the Brazilian Serie B, earning a promotion into the Brazilian top flight last season, finishing in the top half of the table of Serie A and qualifying for the group stage of the Copa Sudamericana.
Early on in 2021, this team continues to score at a very high rate, even without their top goalscorer from last season, Claudinho, who has not featured in their opening two league fixtures.
Mauricio Barbieri has seen his side score three times in both of their two domestic league matches this season, with six different players finding the back of the net.
Most of their opponents so far this season have struggled to contain this offensively gifted side, as Massa Bruta have had at least five or more shots on goal in four of their last five matches in all competitions.
The only side that have been able to keep Bragantino in check of late have been Fluminense, who put on a defensive masterclass earlier this month in limiting them to just a single shot on target in the first leg of their third-round Copa do Brasil tie.
While Braga have been lighting up the scoreboard so far, Fluzao have been incredibly difficult to break down, failing to concede in their opening two league games and limiting their two opponents to fewer than five shots on target in each of those encounters.
Praised as a brilliant tactician, manager Roger Machado has seen his side execute a stifling defensive game to near perfection thus far, allowing only seven shots on target in the 2021 domestic campaign, despite having less than 50% of the possession in each game.
The experience of full-backs in Samuel Xavier and Egidio have been invaluable to a side that are full of youthful talent in midfield, as Nene is their only starting midfielder in their two league matches who is over the age of 30.
Egidio was a valuable two-dimensional player for this team last season, leading them in assists with seven while also being matched up against the top strikers throughout most of the domestic campaign.
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Team News
Left-back Luan Candido has added another dimension to the Red Bull attack, as the man on loan from RB Leipzig has one goal in his first two league fixtures and has looked highly menacing down the left-hand side.
Julio Cesar and Cleiton have each started one match so far in this competition, with the latter earning a clean sheet in a 3-0 win over Chapecoense, making two saves.
Fluminense keeper Marcos Felipe has picked up two shutouts in his opening two league fixtures, conceding three goals in five matches in all competitions.
Striker Gabriel Teixeira is the only player to get his name on the scoresheet in league play, notching the only goal in a 1-0 win against Cuiaba in their last outing.
Bragantino possible starting lineup:
Cleiton; Luan Candido, Ortiz, Fabricio Bruno, Aderlan; Ramires, Evangelista; Helinho, Cuello, Artur; Ytalo
Fluminense possible starting lineup:
Felipe; Xavier, Manoel, Claro, Egidio; Martinelli; Paulista, Felipe, Nene, Teixeira; Fred
We say: Bragantino 1-1 Fluminense
Before their 2-1 defeat in the Copa do Brasil, Fluminense had done a masterful job of shutting down a Bragantino side with a solid attacking presence at every position.
Massa Bruta were much better in front of goal on Wednesday against Tricolor, a side that rarely loses consecutive matches, having done so only once all of last season.
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