Cruzeiro vs FlamengoPrediction, probable lineups, recent form & season stats

Cruzeiro and Flamengo meet again in the Libertadores after eight years, at the Mineirao, for the first leg of the round of 16. It is only their second ever tie in the competition: in 2018, also in the last 16, Cruzeiro went through 2-1 on aggregate. Flamengo the defending champions The Rio side won the 2025 Libertadores by beating Palmeiras 1-0 in the Lima final, Danilo heading in on 67 minutes. In this edition they dominated Group A with 16 points, 14 goals scored and 2 conceded, and domestically they sit second on 39 points with the Brasileirao's best attack. A Cruzeiro side in emergency The hosts are ninth on 30 points with a negative ledger, 27 goals scored and 30 conceded. They will be without Matheus Henrique through suspension and Cassio, out until December with a knee problem, along with Sinisterra and Gabriel Pec, left off the Libertadores list. Five new players were registered for the knockout stage, among them Gabriel Rojas and Lucho Rodriguez. The verdict: the three-goal ceiling fits the recent history The pick asks for a maximum of three total goals. Across the last fifteen meetings Flamengo have won ten, but the aggregate reads 20-8: games often decided by narrow margins. A first leg away also counsels caution for the holders. I read it around 72%. My take: Flamengo favoured, in a controlled rather than spectacular game.