Brasileirão round 31 preview: Bahia v Flamengo, Atlético Paranaense v Palmeiras and Seedorf's first match

The top two both travel this weekend, and both go to sides in the top five. Leaders Flamengo, a point clear on 64, play fifth-placed Bahia at the Arena Fonte Nova on Sunday, a day after Palmeiras visit third-placed Atlético Paranaense without two suspended defenders. At the bottom, Corinthians have lost eight league matches in a row and start under Clarence Seedorf on Monday night, while Grêmio, eighteenth, host Cruzeiro without a win in six. The round opens tonight and runs to Monday.

Friday

Mirassol v Internacional (23:00 UTC, José Maria de Campos Maia). Mirassol, fifteenth on 33, are a point above Internacional, seventeenth. Mirassol lost 1–0 at Bahia last time out; Internacional drew the Gre-Nal 1–1. Mirassol are unbeaten in three league meetings: they won 2–1 away in April, 3–1 at home in October 2025, and drew 1–1 in May 2025. Internacional's own site says Eduardo Baptista's squad held its last session on Thursday morning before travelling.

Saturday

Botafogo v Chapecoense (21:00 UTC, Nilton Santos). Botafogo, thirteenth on 36, drew 1–1 at Coritiba and have not won in three. Chapecoense are last on 18 after losing 4–1 at home to Atlético Paranaense, and have won one of fifteen away. Botafogo won the league meeting in April 4–1 away; they also split two Copa do Brasil meetings in April and May.

Atlético-MG v Coritiba (21:30 UTC, Arena MRV). Atlético-MG, seventh on 47, are unbeaten in five after beating Santos 2–1. Coritiba, eleventh on 39, have not won in five. Coritiba won the last two meetings, 2–0 at home in April and 2–1 away in October 2023.

Atlético Paranaense v Palmeiras (22:30 UTC, Arena da Baixada). Atlético Paranaense are third on 53 after their 4–1 win in Chapecó, unbeaten in four and beaten once in fifteen at home. Palmeiras, second on 63, are unbeaten in seven and have lost two of fifteen away. Lance reports that Gustavo Gómez and Agustín Giay, booked in the 4–1 win over Corinthians, are suspended, and Palmeiras's own site says Vitor Roque is being treated for a sprained right ankle. Palmeiras won 2–1 at Fluminense in the first leg of their Libertadores semi-final on Wednesday; Felipe Anderson told the club's site that Saturday is "another challenge for us in this final stretch". Palmeiras won April's meeting 1–0 at home and 2–0 away in September 2024; Atlético Paranaense won 2–0 away in May 2024.

São Paulo v Vasco da Gama (00:00 UTC Sunday, Morumbi — Saturday night in Brazil). São Paulo, tenth on 39, beat Vitória 2–1 and have won nine of fifteen at home. Vasco da Gama, fourteenth on 35, drew 0–0 with Remo. Vasco won April's meeting 2–1 at home and 3–1 away in June 2025; São Paulo won 2–0 away in November 2025.

Sunday

Fluminense v Santos (19:00 UTC, Maracanã). Fluminense, fourth on 51, lost 1–0 to Flamengo and have won eleven of fifteen at home. Santos, eighth on 42, lost 2–1 at Atlético-MG to stoppage-time goals. Fluminense are unbeaten in the last five meetings: they won 3–2 away in April, drew 0–0 away in August 2025 and won 1–0 at home in April 2025.

Grêmio v Cruzeiro (19:00 UTC, Arena do Grêmio). Grêmio, eighteenth on 31, drew the Gre-Nal 1–1 with Wallace's equaliser and have not won in six, with three straight draws. They have lost three of fifteen at home. Cruzeiro, sixth on 48, lost 4–2 at RB Bragantino despite thirteen shots on target. Cruzeiro won the last three league meetings: 2–0 at home in April, 1–0 away in November 2025 and 4–1 at home in July 2025.

Bahia v Flamengo (21:30 UTC, Arena Fonte Nova). Bahia, fifth on 49, beat Mirassol 1–0 with Luciano Juba's penalty and have lost two of fifteen at home. Flamengo beat Fluminense 1–0, are unbeaten in seven and have won eight of fifteen away. They drew 0–0 at Estudiantes in the first leg of their Libertadores semi-final on Thursday; Lance reports that Giorgian de Arrascaeta, recovering from an operation on a broken left wrist, and Danilo, operated on for two jaw fractures suffered in the Fla-Flu, were left out of that squad. Flamengo won April's meeting 2–0, but Bahia won the last meeting in Salvador 1–0 in October 2025.

Remo v RB Bragantino (22:30 UTC, Evandro Almeida). Remo, nineteenth on 25, are seven points from safety and have not won in ten. The club's medical department says midfielder Jaderson is being treated for a grade IIA injury to a muscle at the back of his left thigh. RB Bragantino, ninth on 40, beat Cruzeiro 4–2. Their only previous meeting on record, in April, ended 4–2 to Bragantino at home.

Monday

Corinthians v Vitória (23:00 UTC, Neo Química Arena). Corinthians are sixteenth on 32, level on points with Internacional and a point above Grêmio, after a 4–1 defeat by Palmeiras. Lance reports that the club named Clarence Seedorf as coach on 11 October, on a contract to the end of 2027; he said taking the job is "an honour, but also an enormous responsibility". According to Lance, Memphis Depay is suspended after a third yellow card in the derby, while Rodrigo Garro and Kaio César return from suspension. Vitória, twelfth on 36, lost 2–1 at São Paulo and have won none of fifteen away, ten of them lost. Corinthians are unbeaten in five meetings: April's, away, was 0–0, and they won 1–0 away in October 2025.

The table before the round

#	Team	P	GD	Pts
1	Flamengo	30	+33	64
2	Palmeiras	30	+30	63
3	Atlético Paranaense	30	+14	53
4	Fluminense	30	+11	51
5	Bahia	30	+8	49
6	Cruzeiro	30	+2	48
7	Atlético-MG	30	+6	47
…
13	Botafogo	30	−5	36
14	Vasco da Gama	29	−6	35
15	Mirassol	30	−10	33
16	Corinthians	30	−7	32
17	Internacional	30	−5	32
18	Grêmio	30	−8	31
19	Remo	30	−15	25
20	Chapecoense	29	−31	18

Flamengo lead Palmeiras by a point with eight rounds left, and Atlético Paranaense in third are ten behind Palmeiras. At the bottom, five points cover Botafogo in thirteenth and Grêmio in eighteenth; Corinthians are out of the bottom four only on wins, having won one more than Internacional. Vasco da Gama and Chapecoense still have their postponed round 21 match against each other to play, and the fixture list gives it no new date yet.

Numbers to know

• Kevin Viveros of Atlético Paranaense leads the scoring with 21; Pedro of Flamengo has sixteen and Gabriel Barbosa of Santos fourteen.
• Corinthians have lost eight league matches in a row; Remo have not won in ten, Grêmio in six and Coritiba in five.
• Flamengo and Palmeiras are both unbeaten in seven.
• Flamengo, Palmeiras and Fluminense have each won eleven of their fifteen home matches.
• Vitória have won ten of fifteen at home and none of fifteen away; Grêmio have also won none of fifteen away.

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

Sources for the context: Palmeiras, Internacional, Remo, Lance, Lance, Lance, Lance, Lance.