Grêmio vs. Flamengo – News and Probable Lineups

Gremio will face Flamengo at the Arena do Gremio in Porto Alegre as part of round 15 of the Brasileirao Serie A on Sunday evening.

This matchup features a Tricolor squad that is striving to escape from the bottom of the standings against a second-placed team coming off a tumultuous Sudamericana match in Medellin on Thursday night.

Match overview

Gremio enters this home match on a strong defensive streak, achieving five consecutive clean sheets—a feat they hadn’t accomplished since 2022—while securing three wins and two draws in this span.

This year, the Tricolor has surrendered just 0.87 goals per match, having recorded 14 clean sheets, which accounts for 46.7% of their total fixtures.

In their latest outing, they comfortably defeated Deportivo Riestra 3-0 in the South American Cup at Estadio Pedro Bidegain in Buenos Aires.

At home, the Immortals have accumulated 17 points from 14 matches, placing them 14th in the Brasileirao, with Luis Castro’s side achieving four victories, five draws, and suffering five losses.

While their defensive form has improved, their head-to-head results against Flamengo reveal a different narrative, with only three victories from the last 15 encounters. Their most recent clash ended in a 1-1 draw in the Brasileirao back in August 2025.

In the Sudamericana, Gremio alleviated mounting pressure with their win at Nuevo Gasometro, climbing to second place in Group F with seven points, sitting two points behind leaders Montevideo City Torque and three ahead of Riestra in third.

Flamengo heads into the weekend with an unbeaten run of nine matches across all competitions, although Thursday’s Copa Libertadores Group A fixture against Independiente Medellin was called off due to significant disturbances in the Atanasio Girardot stadium.

CONMEBOL may potentially award a 3-0 victory to Mengao, which would give Jose Barros’s squad a four-point lead over second-placed Estudiantes, having accrued 10 points from four matches.

Currently, in the Brasileirao, Flamengo holds second place in the league table with 27 points from 13 fixtures, trailing league leaders Palmeiras by six points, albeit with one match still to play.

Their record of eight wins, three draws, and two losses bolsters their status as favorites for this weekend’s match, even while away, as they remain unbeaten in five of their six league encounters since early February.

Team News

Gremio will be without Arthur and Nardoni due to injury, while Noriega and Leo Perez are expected to form the central midfield duo.

On a positive note, the team will see the return of two key players: centre-back Viery and striker Carlos Vinicius, both of whom served suspensions in the previous round against Athletico-PR, adding depth to Castro’s options.

Tiaguinho is also vying for a midfield position after six consecutive appearances as a substitute. The young player performed well in the win against Deportivo Riestra and offers another possible option for the encounter with the Red-and-Blacks.

For Flamengo, full-back Alex Sandro is the only player absent due to suspension, having received his third yellow card in the 2-2 draw against Vasco last Sunday. His absence may see young left-back Johnny from the Under-20 team called up by Jardim, who could play in Porto Alegre.

Midfielder Arrascaeta is still unavailable with a fractured collarbone and is not expected to return until mid-June. Lucas Paqueta is also out due to a thigh issue, while Erick Pulgar completes the list of absentees with a shoulder problem.

Gremio probable starting XI:

Weverton; Balbuena, Martins Viery; Pavon, Perez, Noriega, Mec, Gabriel; Amuzu, Vinicius

Flamengo probable starting XI:

Rossi; VARELA, Ortiz, Pereira, Lucas; Araujo, Jorginho, Carrascal; Plata, Lino, Pedro

Leonardo Jardim will be missing four significant players, including Alex Sandro, Arrascaeta, Paqueta, and Pulgar. Despite Carrascal’s return from his suspension, Flamengo is set to lose some creativity in the midfield—a crucial area where they often excel.

Conversely, for Gremio, the aim will be to maintain a strong defensive framework for the full 90 minutes against an offense that, while somewhat diminished, remains one of the most formidable in the league. The match is anticipated to be more fiercely contested than usual between these two clubs, with the result likely favoring Flamengo.