Flamengo vs. Coritiba – Brazilian Serie A, November 21, 2020

Flamengo welcomes Coritiba to the Maracana on Saturday, November 21, with the home side on an uncharacteristic four-game winless run in Serie A.

Still, the defending champion will be confident of returning to winning ways this weekend. Flamengo currently sits fourth in the table, with third-bottom Coritiba 16 points behind.

I look at the bookmakers’ odds before sharing my Flamengo vs. Coritiba prediction and betting pick.

Unsurprisingly, Flamengo (1.36) heads into this clash as the bookies’ clear favorite. But given their recent poor form, I’m sure the high odds for the draw (4.10) will attract plenty of attention.

Following promotion from Serie B last season, Coritiba (5.60) has struggled to make the step up to the top flight. However, Jorginho’s men have given a decent account of themselves so far.

Following embarrassing back-to-back defeats to Sao Paulo (4-1) and Atletico Mineiro (4-0), Flamengo sacked head coach Domenec Torrent earlier in the month.

The reigning Serie A champion had not made the worst start to the 2020/21 campaign, but with things not going entirely to plan, the club’s hierarchy clearly believed it was time for a change.

New head coach Rogerio Ceni oversaw a 1-1 draw with Atletico Goianiense in his first game in charge, although it’s fair to say that Flamengo should have won last time out. Ceni’s men enjoyed 66% possession and racked up 20 shots (seven on target), yet they were forced to settle for just one point.

Bruno Henrique got on the scoresheet last weekend, taking his tally to four goals and three assists in his last nine Serie A appearances. With Gabriel Barbosa failing to hit the heights he scaled last season, Bruno Henrique is arguably Flamengo’s biggest threat right now.

Meanwhile, Coritiba was unable to prevent a 2-1 defeat to Bahia last time out. Giovani Augusto gave Coxa the lead inside three minutes, but the team eventually failed to protect their advantage.

But with victories over Palmeiras (3-1) and Atletico Goianiense (1-0) coming in recent weeks, along with a hard-fought draw against Internacional (2-2), Jorginho’s men have proved they can compete with even the best sides in the division.

Coritiba may be third from bottom in the standings, but the team has shown great spirit this term. Coxa has defended astutely throughout the campaign, although only one side has scored fewer goals in the league.

If Jorginho’s men are at their best on Saturday, Coritiba could upset misfiring Flamengo.

Given that Flamengo is going through a tricky transitional period at the moment, odds of 1.36 for the home win don’t offer much. It is no secret that the reigning champion has been below par in recent weeks.

On the other hand, Coritiba has picked up a number of impressive results of late. I’m not saying that Jorginho’s men will beat Flamengo, but I can definitely see them snatching a point. In my eyes, it makes a lot more sense to back the draw at the very attractive price of 4.10.