Flamengo vs Criciuma Prediction 20.07.2024

• Competition: Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A
• Date: Saturday, 20th, July 2024
• Kickoff: 20:00 UK / 21:00 CEST
• Venue: Estadio Jornalista Mario Filho (Brasilia)

Seeking to restore their championship aspirations, Flamengo hosts Criciuma at Estadio Jornalista Mario Filho in Saturday's Brasileiro clash.

Rubro-Negro's quest for the league title has taken a hit in recent weeks, as they took a meager one point from their previous two Brasileiro outings as a result of a hard-fought 1-1 stalemate versus Criciuma and a close one-goal loss to Botafogo PB. Currently in third position with 31 points and aware that their higher-ranked rival Palmeiras stumbled against league leaders Botafogo RJ on Wednesday, Tite's are presented with a great opportunity to move up the table and take second place with a win here.

The title contenders will play at home against a Criciuma side that has recently fallen into a results crisis, hindering their climb to the prized positions, as they have failed to secure a single league victory in their last three consecutive matches, the most recent being a 1-2 loss to Corinthians. The primary focus for Claudio Tencati's side will be maintaining their elite status at the very least, after securing promotion last year following a seven-year absence, but it won’t be an easy task as they are now only two points clear of 17th-placed Corinthians, despite having two games in hand.

Flamengo vs Criciuma Betting Tips: OVER 2.5

It seems that Flamengo’s victory could be enhanced by a plethora of goals. Despite their attacking line functioning flawlessly and holding the best offensive record in the division with 28 goals scored, Rubro-Negro often struggles to cover their defensive shortcomings, having managed to keep their opponents off the scoreboard in just one of their last 10 Brasileiro matches. What’s remarkable about the Criciuma team is that, regardless of the outcome they achieve, they have had no trouble breaking through their opponents' defenses this season, impressively getting on the scoresheet in each of their opening 15 top-flight outings. 

Additionally, Criciuma's last three consecutive away games have all concluded with a 1-2 loss, and we could see them ending up on the wrong side of this result again, as their strong attacking instincts may still prove insufficient. Given that both sides play an attacking brand of football while their defenses are prone to lapses, we remain confident that the fans at Maracanã will be treated to an exciting match where the red-and-black-clad team should come out on top.