On the eve of Botafogo's 18:10 p.m. match at Maracanã Stadium on Sunday, coach Joel Santana organized a collective training session this Friday afternoon at Gávea Stadium. During the session, the red-and-black manager finalized the team's details for the crucial derby, a fourth-round fixture of the Taça Rio.

The training session lasted about an hour, and the reserve team ended up winning 3-1, with goals from Éder, Marcinho, and Vinicius Pacheco for the reserves, and Toró scoring for the starters. The main team consisted of Bruno, Léo Moura, Leonardo, Thiago Sales, and Egidio; Jailton, Gávilan, Jônatas, and Toró; Renato Augusto and Obina. The reserves, on the other hand, took the field with Marcelo Lomba, Luizinho, Fábio Luciano (Rodrigo Arroz), Ronaldo Angelim, and Juan; Cristian (Hugo Colace), Kleberson (Vinicius Pacheco), and Ibson (Marcinho); Maxi, Diego Tardelli (Éder), and Souza.

Coach Joel Santana acknowledged that the team needs to improve in some areas.

- "It's a team that has never played together, and that's why it had some difficulties. The offensive part was very good, with Toró, Renato Augusto, Obina and Léo Moura, but in defense we made some mistakes. We're getting the pieces right to have a great match on Sunday."

The bad news from training was striker Éder, who twisted his right ankle and left the field crying.