Packed by best start in the Carioca Championships in the last ten years, Flamengo takes with them to Brasília three convincing victories over Boavista (4-1), Macaé (3-0) and Nova Iguaçu (4-0) and hopes to achieve another triumph this season, this time in the first round of the Primeira Liga Cup. And Zé Ricardo's men already have an interstate classic ahead of them: in the competition's debut, Rubro-Negro faces Grêmio, at the Mané Garrincha stadium, at 19:30 pm this Wednesday (8). The Nation can expect a game full of tradition and history to tell.

Paolo Guerrero, who already has four goals in three games in Carioca, turned its sights to the confrontation after the victory over Nova Iguaçu"This Wednesday we have a very important match, which will be a tougher test, for sure. We have to play a great game," said the number 9.

The squad had a day off on Sunday (5) and returned to training at the George Helal Training Center on Monday afternoon (6). The team will have one more day of work on Tuesday morning (7) before heading to Brasília.

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Balanced classic in Brasilia
The Mais Querido and the Tricolor Gaúcho have faced off five times in the Federal District, and the numbers don't point to a favorite: they have two wins for each side, one draw, and eight goals for each team. Flamengo won in 1997, 4-2, in the World Champions Cup, and in 2016, in the last edition of the Brazilian Championship, 2-1. Grêmio won in 1995, also in the World Champions Cup, 2-0, and in 2013, 1-0, in the Brasileirão. The tie was in 1971, in the Torneio Presidente Médici, and the score at the Pelezão was 2-2.

Diego's gala debut
One of Mengão's victories over Grêmio in Brasília, in the second round of the 2016 Brazilian Championship, was Diego's debut in the Sacred Mantle. On that day, August 21st, the star player started his career on the right foot and with a header: finding the net after a pinpoint cross from Pará. Watch:

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Decisive classic
Flamengo vs. Grêmio, along with Internacional vs. Corinthians, is one of two Brazilian football classics that formed the finals of the two most important competitions in Brazilian football: the Brazilian Championship in 1982 and the Copa do Brasil in 1997. While the Tricolor emerged victorious in the 90s, in 82, the nearly unbeatable Flamengo of Raul; Leandro, Marinho, Figueiredo, and Júnior; Andrade, Adílio, and Zico; Tita, Nunes, and Lico was crowned champion in a thrilling final decided over three matches: a 1-1 draw at Maracanã, with last-minute goals from Tonho and Zico; a 0-0 draw in Porto Alegre; and finally, again in the capital of Rio Grande do Sul, a 1-0 victory for Mengão, with a goal from Nunes. That was the Rubro-Negro's second national championship. Relive:

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Flamengo vs. Grêmio is a rematch of the match that decided the 2009 Brazilian Championship. On that unforgettable December 06th, the teams faced each other in the final round of the competition, and Mengão won its sixth championship with a comeback 2-1 victory at Maracanã. Roberson opened the scoring for the Tricolor, but David and Ronaldo Angelim scored, writing their name in club history. Relive the highlights:

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Tickets to support at Mané Garrincha
Fan club members receive a discount on combined tickets with the half-price student ticket, as well as priority purchase. They can also use their ticket card to enter Mané Garrincha, avoiding any lines to buy or collect tickets. Click here to feel the pride of being a fan club member and always have more Flamengo!

For those who are not members, online sales are open at Futebolcard website. On the day of the match, tickets will only be sold at the Mané Garrincha stadium.

Click here for more ticket sales information.

TV broadcast