Mirassol and Flamengo are set to meet on Sunday at 18:30 at the Maião in Mirassol in the 23rd round of the Campeonato Brasileiro. The game will be shown by Premiere, TV Record and CazéTV, while ge will follow it in Tempo Real.
The timing matters because both teams arrive at the match with something to prove. Mirassol has gone four matches without a win and sits on 23 points in 15th place, after a loss to Cruzeiro on Sunday last week and a draw with LDU at the Maião last Thursday. Flamengo, meanwhile, beat Vitória at home in the last round and is trying to trim the six-point gap to Palmeiras, with one match in hand against Mirassol at the Maracanã.
The lineups show how much is at stake before a ball is kicked. Mirassol's likely side has Walter, Igor Formiga, João Victor, Willian Machado, Reinaldo, Japa, Neto Moura, Eduardo, Alesson or Fernandinho, Edson Carioca and Bruno Santos. On Flamengo's side, Rossi, Varela, Léo Pereira, Léo Ortiz or Danilo, Ayrton Lucas, Pulgar, Jorginho, Arrascaeta or Paquetá, Plata or Carrascal, Pedro and Lino are the main options.
Gabriel Knesowitsch is the one uncertainty that can still alter Mirassol's back line. He felt knee pain before the match against LDU and was ruled out, which leaves open whether Willian Machado stays next to João Victor or whether the coach turns to another option from the same group. Alesson and Fernandinho are also competing for the left wing, so there is more movement in the XI than the simple fixture listing suggests.
Leonardo Jardim will be without Alex Sandro, Vitão, De la Cruz, Bruno Henrique and Everton Cebolinha, while Bruno Henrique did not train with the group in recent days. Alex Sandro is recovering from pain in his right calf caused by tendinitis, Vitão and De la Cruz are both being treated for muscle injuries in the left thigh, and Everton Cebolinha was ruled out after flu symptoms kept him out of training this week. That kind of absence matters more now because Flamengo also has a Wednesday home match that will decide qualification for the quarterfinals, which limits room for risk in Mirassol.
So Sunday’s game is not just another league date. Mirassol is trying to protect its place in Série A while still carrying the load of a Libertadores round of 16 campaign against LDU, and Flamengo cannot afford to lose ground in the title chase before its next continental test. By kickoff at the Maião, the question is less about the calendar than about which team can handle the week it has been given.
