Fluminense and Operário-PR met on Tuesday at 21:30 at the Maracanã for the second leg of their Copa do Brasil fifth-phase tie, with a place in the round of 16 at stake. The first leg, played on April 23 at Estádio Germano Kruger in Ponta Grossa, finished 0-0, leaving no margin for error in Rio.
A win would send either side through. Another draw would push the tie to penalties. For Fluminense, the match came in the middle of a strong league run, with the club sitting third in the Brasileirão on 27 points after a 2-2 home draw with Vitória. For Operário-PR, it arrived after a 3-0 away loss to CRB in the eighth round of Série B, a result that left the team eighth on 12 points.
The cup path has been different for each side. Fluminense entered the competition in the fifth phase, as all Série A clubs do, while Operário-PR started in the second phase and moved through Betim, Capital-DF and Londrina to reach this stage. That run kept the Paraná club unbeaten in the Copa do Brasil, with three wins and one draw in four matches.
Team news pointed to a familiar shape for both sides. Fluminense's probable lineup included Fábio, Guga, IJemmes, Freytes, Guilherme Arana, Hércules, Nonato, Lucho Acosta, Savarino, Canobbio and John Kennedy, with Matheus Reis, Germán Cano and Martinelli listed as absences. Operário-PR's probable lineup featured Vagner, Doka, Cuenú, Klaus, Moraes, Vinicius Diniz, Boschilia, Berto, Pablo and Aylon, while Mingotti, Brenno and Zuluaga were unavailable.
Joao Vitor Gobi was set to referee the match, which carried simple stakes and little room for caution. Fluminense had the stronger league form and the home crowd, but Operário-PR arrived with a clean cup record and the knowledge that one more disciplined night could turn a road trip into a place in the last 16.
