Pedro of Flamengo celebrates after scoring the first goal of his team during the match between … [+] Flamengo and Cuiaba as part of Brasileirao 2024 at Maracana Stadium on July 6, 2024 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Getty Images
At the halfway point in a rollercoaster Série A season, Flamengo and Botafogo sit level on 40 points at the top of the table. However Flamengo, who won the league in 2019 and 2020, lead on goal difference and have a game in hand.
As Europe is poised for a return to domestic action after a long summer wait, Brazil continues a season that didn’t even stop for a break during the Copa América. Most teams have now played around 19 or 20 games and so we are starting to notice the clear trends in this 2024 campaign.
Botafogo, who completely capitulated in last season’s title race, are back in the trophy hunt once again, hoping to go one better this season. Palmeiras, who won last year’s title, are hot on their heels in third place, with Fortaleza and Cruzeiro impressing in fourth and fifth position respectively.
Five points separating the top five teams is far from unusual in Brazil. Last season’s epic title race saw six teams in with a chance of lifting the league title with just two weeks left in the campaign. It’s for this very reason that the Brazilian league is one of the most exciting to follow on the planet.
Luiz Henrique (R) of Botafogo celebrates after scoring the team’s first goal during the match … [+] between Botafogo and Internacional as part of Brasileirao 2024 at Nilton Santos Stadium on July 20, 2024 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Getty Images
Fluminense won the Copa Libertadores last season and have won their last three league games in a row, and yet they still sit 19th in the league table after a horrific start to the campaign. This comes despite solid continental form, further showcasing the nature of the beast that is the Brazilian Série A.
Flamengo forward Pedro is leading the league in goal contributions with 10 goals and five assists so far. No team has won more games than the Rio based side this year and they have added the likes of Nicolás de la Cruz to their side from River Plate in Argentina. A talented squad with a huge fan base and experience of winning titles look like favourites to lift the trophy going into the second half of the season.
32 year-old Philippe Coutinho has joined Vasco but is yet to hit the ground running at the club where he started his career. They sit in 11th place. Elsewhere giants like Corinthians and Grêmio have been struggling at the lower end of the table, but just four points separate 12th and 19th in this super competitive league, which will only get more exciting with each passing week.
Thiago Silva of Fluminense looks on during the match between Fluminense and Palmeiras as part of … [+] Brasileirao 2024 at Maracana Stadium on July 24, 2024 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Ruano Carneiro/Getty Images)
Getty Images
Source link : http://www.bing.com/news/apiclick.aspx?ref=FexRss&aid=&tid=66b0c840eede4d4991242c3a6e6f28ec&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.forbes.com%2Fsites%2Fjosephosullivan%2F2024%2F07%2F31%2Fflamengo-and-botafogo-lead-the-title-charge-in-brazil%2F&c=2185188916553797446&mkt=en-us
Author :
Publish date : 2024-08-01 02:14:00
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
