Although playing with substitutes, Fluminense’s defeat against Bahia puts more pressure on Diniz

Flu's campaign in the Brasileirão is not good

sambafoot_admin

2023-11-01 11:35:27

Image Credits: © (Mailson Santana/Fluminense)

With their minds set on the final of the Copa Libertadores against Boca Juniors, Fluminense visited Bahia with a completely alternative team and fell 1-0 (Everaldo Stum scored for the local team in the 40th minute). Although the priority is Saturday’s match at the Maracanã, this result increases the already existing pressure on Fernando Diniz.

Well, Flu has won just two of its last nine games in all competitions and, after 31 games, it is eighth in the Brasileirao, four points away from the qualifying zone for the preliminary phase of Libertadores 2024. Therefore, a defeat against the Argentine team could put the coach’s continuity in doubt.

A similar panorama in Argentina

In Brazil there is uncertainty around the Brazilian strategist due to Tricolor’s irregular campaign in the league. However, the club is just one game away from achieving Eternal Glory for the first time. It seems that there is no middle ground: if he wins, Diniz would go down in history, while if he loses, his days could be numbered.

Curiously, something similar happens with his next Argentine rival. Jorge Almirón took charge of Xeneize in April, but his work has not yet convinced. In fact, the Boca campaign in the Libertadores supported it. Even the path to the final itself gave a lot to talk about, since the Ribera club went through all of its series on penalties, with only one goal: Edinson Cavani’s goal in the second leg semi-final against Palmeiras.

Boca does not arrive with the best results for Saturday’s match either, having won just one of its last nine matches. They have 11 points in the same number of dates in the League Cup and are seventh in the annual table, three units behind the Libertadores positions. Like Diniz, Almirón arrives in Rio with two possibilities: either win and become eternal, or lose and have his position at risk.