Now things are really going to get tough. A national classic will be the highlight of the ninth round of the 2018 Brazilian Championship: Flamengo vs. Corinthians. A duel at the top of the table. Flamengo leads with 17 points, five wins, and a goal difference of nine. Corinthians is in third with 14 points, four wins, and a goal difference of five. It will certainly be another historic duel between these teams, who have had several memorable encounters. We'll mention some below in another BuzzFla special. Stay tuned!

1. Goals, goals and more goals

If there's one thing we can expect from the derby, it's a goal. It's been 14 years since a 0-0 draw. And we're not talking about 1-0 or anything like that. It's a game where top scorers are crowned. In the last meeting, in the 2017 Brazilian Championship, Mengão crushed the team at Ilha do Urubu, leading 3-0 in the first half. They've now gone three games without losing to them. Let's relive the goals from Mancuello, Diego, and Felipe Vizeu on FlaTV's exclusive camera below. 

2. And if we're talking about goals...

Romário was always a relentless executioner against Corinthians. The little one transformed himself during the game. And it was usually goal after goal. He played seven games, won five, drew one, and lost one against the Manto Sagrado in this duel. He scored nine goals. He knew the path to scoring against them like few others. 

What everyone remembers is the rubber band. And it's also unbelievable. A stunning goal that celebrates 19 years of history. In the Rio vs. São Paulo tournament, the teams faced off at Pacaembu Stadium on a red-and-black afternoon in São Paulo. Romário's show began in the first half, with dribbling, passing, long balls, and a lot of energy. And in the sixth minute of the first half, he received the ball on the wing and launched himself at Amaral. The crisp dribble, the perfect shot, the stunning goal. Two-nil. A timid applause from the Corinthians fans in the stadium. In the second half, another stunning goal. The shorty was once again released, dribbled past Nei, and scored another, this time to the applause of the entire stadium. 

(Instead of gif, this time we will leave the best moments in the narration of the late Deva Pascovicci)

3. The Shorty didn't stop

Romário was mistreated. That same year, 1999, the teams faced each other in the Brazilian Championship at Pacaembu Stadium, on the anniversary of the São Paulo team, which was leading the championship. Luizão opened the scoring, but Romário was having a goalscoring night and single-handedly turned the game around. He scored two stunning goals in the first half, killing the opponent. It was an incredible statistic. With Baixinho on the field, there was no clean sheet against them. The first goal was this absurd talent down there. Then he added another, rising with a header through the Corinthians defense and scoring the second. A birthday beer was a real treat. 

4. RoMagno

He wasn't a world champion. He wasn't the best player on the planet. But in a Flamengo vs. Corinthians match on August 28, 08, Magno Mocelin became RoMagno by scoring three times against them, also becoming the only player to achieve that feat in the derby. The 94-5 final victory in the Brazilian Championship, shortly after the World Cup, was the player's peak, having arrived in 2 and left the club in 93, with 96 goals in total.

For the first goal, Nélio received a pass and controlled it with his chest. With his backheel, he fed Marcos Adriano, who streaked down the left and found the striker who equalized in the second half.

Marcos Adriano himself turned the game around soon after. And it was Magno's turn to shine again. Sávio made a great play, pulling the defense together, and finding the game's top scorer unmarked to score the third. All in the final 45 minutes, when Mengão overwhelmed. 

The night's greatest goal was still missing. And Magno decided he was going to score it himself. Late in the match, he picked up the ball in midfield, carried it, and finished it off in the net. Great goal! A magical night!

5. Moral score: 8 to 1

In 17 / 04 / 1983, Flamengo was irresistible. They scored eight, five of which counted. But looking at the videos, three were disallowed due to the goal danger rule. First, Adílio's, after a header from Mozer, which referee Roque José Galas deemed a foul that could even be debated. But in the 39th minute, there was no way out. Leandro crossed, Julio César set up, and Zico finished. The score was open. In the 45th minute, Zico, again, scored from a free kick, leaving Leão with no chance.

In the second half, Adílio extended the lead in the seventh minute. Zico added another, but it was disallowed for some unknown reason. He was behind the ball when he headed the ball free, but the referee spotted an offside call. Mozer turned it into a rout in the 30th minute, and Elder sealed the deal three minutes later with a stunning dribble past Leão, the match's most beautiful goal. Junior scored another stunning goal, but it was disallowed for excessive effort. "O Capacete" (The Helmet) dribbled past everyone and scored, but only the referee... So, below we leave this article that tells the story of the match, with the goals that stood and those that were disallowed. Clear your doubts here. 

6. Maestro Chuchu

It was a Sunday like this one. It was October 10, 1998. Flamengo was coming off two wins in the Brazilian Championship, Romário was on fire, and the derby against Corinthians would close the week on Sunday. Around 80 fans packed the stadium to see a spectacle that began with a perfect free kick from Marcos Assunção, opening the scoring. 

Star Romário felt the pressure and came off. The team didn't. Beto extended the lead in the first half with great skill, making it 2-0. Corinthians was outmatched on the field, offering no resistance against a Flamengo side that controlled every move. 

In the second half, the show continued. Iranildo controlled the pace of the match and delivered a beautiful pass to Caio, who chested it down for Jorginho to unleash a bomb and score the third. 

One was missing. And Iranildo, the best on the field, got his. Caio launched the ball, the defense scrambled, and the number 10, with style, class, and composure, scored the fourth. A rout to round off the list, a day no one will forget, and the inspiration for this Sunday's match. 

We'll have another great game, for sure. It doesn't have to be a rout. One-nil is great and deserves the lead. Let's go, Flamengo!