Botafogo vs Fluminense Prediction 9 August 2026

The team's last official match was played on in the Série A tournament (home side - Cruzeiro, away side - Botafogo). The match ended 0:1.

The match statistics are as follows (Botafogo vs Cruzeiro):

• possession: 38% vs 62%;
• corner kicks: 1 vs 9;
• fouls: 18 vs 14;
• yellow cards: 5 vs 4;
• shots on target: 4 vs 6.

In the previous round, Botafogo beat Cruzeiro 1-0 away. Before that, the Lone Star drew with Vitória (0-0) at home and picked up a home win over Santos (2-1). The team have now gone three rounds without a defeat and sit eighth in the table.

The gap to Fluminense is just four points, and Botafogo also have a game in hand. At home, the team have traditionally looked confident - Franklin Carvalho's side have gone unbeaten in 10 of their last 11 home matches across all competitions.

However, Botafogo's defence cannot be called fully reliable: in six of their last seven home league matches, the team have both scored and conceded. Matches at Nilton Santos have also tended to be high-scoring recently - the over 2.5 goals market has come in in 12 of Botafogo's last 13 matches at this stadium.

An additional motivation for the hosts will be the desire to get revenge for the first-leg defeat at Maracanã (0-1). What's more, Botafogo have traditionally done well against Fluminense at home: in the last three seasons, in all home matches against the Tricolor Carioca, the team have won every time and have not conceded a single goal. The aggregate score of those meetings is 4-0. Taking into account current form, home record and head-to-head history, Botafogo go into the derby with good chances of a positive result.

The current away side's last official match was played in the Copa do Brasil (home side - Fluminense, away side - Vasco da Gama). The match ended 1:3.

The match stats were as follows (Fluminense vs Vasco da Gama):

• possession: 61% vs 39%;
• corners: 1 vs 5;
• fouls: 11 vs 25;
• yellow cards: 3 vs 5;
• shots on target: 4 vs 7.

Fluminense come into this match on the back of a run of draws in the league. In the previous four rounds, Luis Zubeldía's side consistently shared points with their opponents: 1-1 scorelines were recorded against Cruzeiro, Bragantino and Grêmio, while the most recent round ended in a goalless draw against Bahia.

After that, the Tricolor Carioca continued their Copa do Brasil campaign, meeting Vasco da Gama in the last 16. The first leg away ended 0-0, but in the return fixture Fluminense surprisingly lost at home 1-3 and were eliminated from the competition. That defeat was the club's first in seven matches across all competitions.

Ahead of the trip to Botafogo, Fluminense have problems not only with results but also with fitness. A congested schedule has left the squad less time to recover and prepare properly for the derby. On top of that, away matches remain a weak point for the Tricolor Carioca: the side have gone eight consecutive games without a win on the road across all competitions, with five draws and three defeats.

The nature of Fluminense's away matches remains unpredictable. On one hand, the team often plays cautiously - under 2.5 goals has come in eight consecutive away matches in a row. On the other hand, given Botafogo's form and the visitors' congested schedule, a more open scenario cannot be ruled out.