Terrified by the ‘ghost’ of home-grown failures, Vitoria will have Flamengo ahead on Sunday, December 3, at Barradão’s Manuel Barradas stadium in Salvador, in a match for the thirty-eighth round of the 2017 Brazilian Championship. 17h (Brasília time, 16h in the capital of Bahia), the duel decides the permanence of the Bahians in the elite division of national football.

The recent performance of Vitoria

The Lion depends only on its outcome. With 43 points (11 wins, 10 draws and 16 losses), he is in 15th place. If you win, you will not need any other result to guarantee your permanence in Serie A.
The problem is that winning at home has been an almost impossible mission for Victoria. In the Brasileirao, in 18 matches, the team managed to add up to three points only three times. It is the worst boss of the competition with 14 points accumulated (three wins, five draws and ten losses) of 54 played.
The ‘ghost’ gets even bigger and more frightening when it is remembered that the Victory was last demoted exactly in a match in Barradão. He needed to beat Santos to avoid sticking, but ended up tied for 1 to 1.
This time, however, the tie may even serve. In that case, Vitoria will need to cheer against rivals. With Atlético-GO and Ponte Preta already downgraded, the Bahian team must overcome two between Coritiba (43 points), Sport (42) and Avaí (42). Thus, if two of them are defeated, even with defeat the Bahia lion will be able to survive in the elite division of national football.
Over the course of the week, coach Vagner Mancini did everything he could to steer clear of negative statistics and attempted to treat Sunday’s duel as a one-off showdown, a kind of end to avoid comparison with other home-grown failures.
This has even influenced training, surrounded by mysteries. One of them refers to who will occupy the left-hand side. Holder Gefferson is suspended due to the accumulation of yellow cards. Thalysson is the only specialist in the position, but the coach analyzes the possibility of using defender Paulo Bispo, right-back Patric or midfielder Filipe Souto in the position.
It will not be the only casualty. They are also suspended for the third yellow card defender Wallace and striker Tréllez, who was decisive in Vitória, 3-2, against Ponte Preta in Campinas the previous day, which left the Bahian team farther away from the relegation zone. Midfielder David, with muscle injury, was vetoed by the medical department.

The current form of Flamengo

Flamengo had losses and gains throughout the week. The loss was in the physical aspect. The team had to travel to Barranquilla, Colombia, to face Atletico Junior in the return match of the semifinals of the South American Cup. The game ended already at dawn on Friday, December 1st.
However, it brought an immense psychological gain in the luggage. It defeated the Colombians by 2 to 0, had the goalkeeper César, scaled to replace the injured Diego Alves and the renegade Wall, taking penalty and thus secured a place in Sula’s decision. It will face Independiente, from Argentina, as of next Wednesday, December 5th.
This makes Sunday’s duel a problem on the calendar. However, climbing a reserve team carries very large risks. After all, Flamengo still struggles to qualify for the next edition of the 2018 Copa Libertadores of America through the Brasileirão. It would be a ‘plan B’ in case the wave does not come with the conquest of South America.
Therefore, coach Reinaldo Rueda must climb the best team that has at hand in Salvador. With 53 points (14 wins, 11 draws and 12 losses), Flamengo is sixth, but if they do not score in Salvador they can fall to the tenth place.
This does not mean that all holders will be on the field. To review, hurt, was embezzlement of last minute in Colombia, and will hardly have conditions of game. It has not been officially vetoed. It must pass a new evaluation that will determine if it can be made available.
Everton striker, another who was out of the game in Colombia, can return to the team. He was listed for the match in Salvador after being a month away because of the injury. However, it was not guaranteed. You also need to show that you are physically fit enough. If this does not occur, it will be preserved for Sula’s first decisive match.

History of the bouts between Vitória and Flamengo
The red-blacks came face to face in the Brasileirão on 38 occasions. The Cariocas won 21 of those games. The Bahian successes were nine, including the 2-0 marked in the first round of the 2017 season that caused the dismissal of coach Zé Ricardo. The draws were recorded eight times.

With the South American conquest as the biggest and most worn out goal of Thursday night’s game, Flamengo will hardly be able to impose an intense pace of play. Thus, the guess at Vitoria is the best option for starting. It has a price of 2.05 in Rivalo. Draw presents prize of 3.40. Success visitor pays 3.60.