Brasileirão round 29 preview: Santos host Flamengo, Palmeiras v Bahia, and Internacional's new coach meets Corinthians

The league comes back from the international break with a midweek round, and its biggest match pairs the two form sides: leaders Flamengo, three points clear and winners of their last five, go to Santos, who have also won five in a row. Palmeiras, second, host fifth-placed Bahia on Thursday night, and third-placed Atlético Paranaense meet Atlético-MG. At the bottom, Internacional play their first match under Eduardo Baptista against Corinthians, who have lost six league matches in a row.

Wednesday

RB Bragantino v Mirassol (22:30 UTC, Cícero de Souza Marques). RB Bragantino, eleventh on 36, have not won in five league matches and lost 1–0 at Atlético-MG on Saturday. Mirassol, fifteenth on 32, beat Botafogo 2–0 before the break. Bragantino won 1–0 at Mirassol in April; the sides then met twice in the Copa do Brasil, 1–1 at Bragantino and 2–1 to Mirassol in May.

Internacional v Corinthians (22:30 UTC, Beira-Rio). Internacional are eighteenth on 28, four points behind fourteenth-placed Corinthians. Eduardo Baptista was appointed on 23 September after Paulo Pezzolano was dismissed, Gazeta Esportiva reported, and this is his first match in charge. Corinthians' six straight defeats include 3–1 at home to Fluminense last time out. Internacional won 1–0 at Corinthians in April; in the Copa do Brasil in August each side won at home, 2–0 to Internacional and 2–1 to Corinthians.

Remo v Grêmio (22:30 UTC, Mangueirão). Remo are nineteenth on 23 and have lost their last five. Grêmio, seventeenth on 29, held Palmeiras 0–0. The only previous meeting, in Porto Alegre in April, was goalless.

Vitória v Chapecoense (23:00 UTC, Barradão). Vitória are thirteenth on 33 after a 3–1 home defeat by Cruzeiro; Chapecoense are last on 18 with a match in hand. April's meeting in Chapecó was 1–1; the last one in Salvador, in Serie B in July 2023, was a 1–0 Vitória win.

Botafogo v Vasco da Gama (23:30 UTC, Nilton Santos). Botafogo, twelfth on 35, lost 2–0 at Mirassol; Vasco da Gama, sixteenth on 31 with a match in hand, beat Coritiba 5–0. Botafogo won 2–1 at Vasco in April and 3–0 at home in November 2025; Vasco won the Carioca meeting 2–0 in February.

Cruzeiro v São Paulo (00:30 UTC Thursday, Mineirão — Wednesday night in Brazil). Cruzeiro are sixth on 45 after winning 3–1 at Vitória; São Paulo, tenth on 36, lost the derby 2–1 to Santos on Friday. São Paulo won 4–1 in April; Cruzeiro won 1–0 at home in August 2025.

Thursday

Santos v Flamengo (22:30 UTC, Vila Belmiro). Santos are eighth on 41; Flamengo top on 60, with the best attack in the league, 55 goals. Gazeta Esportiva reports that Cuca puts Neymar's chance of playing at "great", depending on how his return from a thigh injury goes in training, and that Everton Cebolinha cannot face his former club unless Santos pay a R$2 million clause. Flamengo won the last two meetings, 3–1 in April and 3–2 in November 2025; Santos won 1–0 at home in July 2025.

Atlético Paranaense v Atlético-MG (23:00 UTC, Arena da Baixada). Athletico are third on 49 and beat Bahia 2–1 in their last match; Atlético-MG are seventh on 43 and have won three of their last five. O Tempo reports that Atlético-MG are without Everson, Gustavo Scarpa and Ruan Tressoldi, with Mateo Cassierra a doubt. Atlético-MG won 2–1 in April and 1–0 in December 2024; Athletico's last win was 1–0 at home in November 2024.

Fluminense v Coritiba (00:30 UTC Friday, Maracanã — Thursday night in Brazil). Fluminense, fourth on 48, won 3–1 at Corinthians; Coritiba, ninth on 38, lost 5–0 at Vasco. April's meeting was 1–1; Fluminense won 2–1 at home in November 2023.

Palmeiras v Bahia (00:30 UTC Friday, Nubank Parque). Palmeiras are second on 57 and have the best defence, 21 conceded; Bahia, fifth on 46, lost at Athletico after four straight wins. A Tarde reports that Abel Ferreira serves the last match of his suspension and that Joaquín Piquerez and Emiliano Martínez are out because of travel arrangements after the international break; Bahia are without Léo Vieira. Palmeiras won 2–1 at Bahia in April, after Bahia had won both meetings in 2025 by 1–0.

The table before the round

#	Team	P	GD	Pts
1	Flamengo	28	+32	60
2	Palmeiras	28	+26	57
3	Atlético Paranaense	28	+11	49
4	Fluminense	28	+8	48
5	Bahia	28	+8	46
6	Cruzeiro	28	+2	45
7	Atlético-MG	28	+5	43
8	Santos	28	+2	41
…
16	Vasco da Gama	27	−7	31
17	Grêmio	28	−8	29
18	Internacional	28	−6	28
19	Remo	28	−15	23
20	Chapecoense	27	−24	18

Flamengo play on Thursday at Santos; Palmeiras kick off two hours later and will know whether they can cut the gap. Four points separate Atlético Paranaense in third from Cruzeiro in sixth. Between fourteenth-placed Corinthians on 32 and Internacional in eighteenth there are four points, with Mirassol, Vasco and Grêmio in between.

Numbers to know

• Kevin Viveros of Atlético Paranaense leads the scoring with eighteen; Pedro of Flamengo has sixteen.
• Flamengo and Santos have each won their last five league matches; Corinthians have lost six in a row and Remo five.
• Remo have not won in eight league matches.
• Vasco da Gama and Chapecoense still have their postponed round 21 match to play.

The full round with kick-off times in your time zone is on the Brasileirão page.

Sources for the context: Gazeta Esportiva, Gazeta Esportiva, O Tempo, A Tarde.