After this afternoon's training session in Gávea, coach Caio Júnior stated that winning the Brazilian title is still within reach for the red-and-black team. The manager justified his optimism by highlighting the competition's tightness and the upcoming head-to-head matches.

"I'm going all the way in this fight. There are still chances, and we have to believe. This year's Brazilian Championship is a bit strange, and everyone is still in the running. The competition is still open, and it's given every team a chance. We're the ones who haven't taken advantage of it. The balance is very close. Palmeiras lost by three goals to Fluminense, and Cruzeiro also lost by three goals to Goiás. It's very close, and the teams will still stumble until the end. We have direct clashes against Cruzeiro and Palmeiras, and that could make our job easier. Now it's time to think about winning the matches and rooting for our direct opponents to lose."

For the coach, the important thing now is to stay focused on Sunday's match against Botafogo at Maracanã.

"Our target now is the derby. We're focused on getting that win. It's a derby, and a derby is always tougher. We'll wait for the outcome of their matchup in the South American to see how they play on Sunday. A win would be a real boost in the final stretch of the competition."