Author: Vishwajit Sawant
A crucial battle for survival in the Serie A of the Brazilian Championship unfolded during the 25th round, when Santos beat Vasco, moving out of the relegation zone and leaving their rivals in a precarious position. This result has significantly altered the outlook for both teams as they face the challenges of the championship.
Just two games ago, Santos had only a 23% chance of retaining their place in the top flight of Brazilian soccer. However, two consecutive victories over direct rivals Bahia and Vasco have transformed their situation. Alvinegro Praiano currently have a 53.4% chance of avoiding relegation. His next derby against Palmeiras, on Sunday, represents an opportunity to demonstrate his best performance.
Vasco, on the other hand, despite the unfortunate result and their persistent presence in the relegation zone, had shown signs of resurgence before the defeat to Santos. With three wins in a row and a series of promising performances, the team had shown its potential to bounce back. Even now, despite their 17th place finish, Vasco still have a 65.5% chance of securing safety. The next game against São Paulo, in São Januário, represents another opportunity to get out of the relegation zone.
The battle for survival in Serie A is fierce, with the fate of every team at stake. The fight against relegation includes teams like Bahia (56.8%) and Santos (53.4%), both determined to secure their place in the top flight.
Meanwhile, the race to qualify for the Copa Libertadores is heating up. After finishing second in the Copa do Brasil, Flamengo face a challenging task in the Brasileirão to secure a place in the next Libertadores. The recent victory against Bahia lifted the team to fifth place and increased their chances of joining the G-4 from 25.4% to 26.9%. In addition, their chances of the G-6 have increased from 53.9% to 55.1%. A good performance against Corinthians in the next away game could further improve his position.
Fluminense and Internacional will play for a place in the Libertadores final on Wednesday at the Beira-Rio. Regardless of the result, Fluminense remain well placed, with a 34.4% chance of reaching the G-4 and a 63.9% chance of securing a place in the G-6. On the other hand, if Internacional are eliminated, they face an uphill battle with minimal chances (0.01% G-4, 0.15% G-6) of reaching the next edition of the Libertadores.