If we're talking greenery, Fluminense has Botafogo pegged. Sift through the midfield and you'll find the rare gem Jhon Arias, with an impressive 7.80 rating and 2 goals, with 93.5% accurate passing. A snappy dresser and just as snappy with the ball. They have another shining star in Guga, the man with the 81.8% accurate pass rate.
But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Sure, the boys from Rio can dance, but this is a football match. Naturally, you've got to give some credit to a team that defends as well as Botafogo. It reads like a war - a war in Marlon Freitas' and Thiago Almada's backyard. Observe Freitas, the lad with an 89.9% accurate passing record and Almada lighting up opposing defenders with an 88.7% accurate pass rate and a goal to his portfolio.
Now, let's get down to the number-crunching business. Quite a bit of ink has been spilled talking about past matchups between these two sides. Botafogo, it seems, enjoys a spot of tea when they play Fluminense, with three straight victories against them in the recent meetings. If history repeats itself, and it has a nasty habit of doing just that, Botafogo may have an edge.
As for league play, Botafogo have claimed some valuable scalps on their way to a strong season record of 16-5-5. Fluminense, on the other hand, seem to be stuck in a bit of a rut, the kind that has them skulking around a 7-6-12 season record.
In the end, it seems, the best way to predict the future is to create it. And based on my above accumulations, well, I'm afraid I'll have to call this one for Botafogo. So, for those who like to place some friendly wagers and enjoy the match...
Albert’s Prediction: Botafogo by 1