LANCEPRESS!

Easter Sunday is the day to win chocolate eggs and watch the classic between Flamengo and Fluminense. The duel promises to be a close one, but history shows that one team can surprise and present its rival with a very dark "chocolate."

Over the course of 365 matches between Flamengo and Fluminense, on 53 occasions, one of the teams came away with a rout. It's true that the "chocolate distribution" has decreased significantly lately compared to the first clashes in the early 10s, but that doesn't mean it's over. Just ask the red-and-blacks, who lost 2008-4 in 1.

Flamengo fans have celebrated the most thrashings of their rivals, having won 31 times by three or more goals. The biggest victory in the match was actually for the Red-Blacks: a 7-0 victory in the 45 Municipal Tournament. Fluminense, on the other hand, has thrashed their opponents in 22 matches. The biggest was a 5-1 victory in the 43 Lightning Tournament.

Flamengo's top scorer this year with 11 goals, Josiel doesn't believe the winner of this Sunday's derby will have an easy time. He believes the balance between the two teams doesn't allow for a heavy scoreline, especially since it's a decisive match.

"I think a rout is a bit unlikely in this classic. It'll be a beautiful game to watch, but very complicated, because the two teams are evenly matched. I'll leave the chocolate to the bunny," he joked.

Coach Parreira doesn't care about the final result. He just hopes Fluminense leaves Maracanã happy:

"What we want is to see a feisty, competitive team. The fans like that. And they like winning, too. No one on the streets asked me for a rout. The important thing is to win."