Football Bet of the Day: Atletico Mineiro to face more Flamengo frustration on Wednesday

Former Atletico Madrid and Chelsea full-back Filipe Luis, now head coach of Brazilian giants Flamengo, won his first major honour in management on Sunday. His side beat Atletico Mineiro 1-0 in the second leg of the Copa do Brasil, winning 4-1 on aggregate.

Atletico don't have to wait long to exact revenge, however. The teams meet again on Wednesday (23:00 GMT), this time at the Maracana, and this time in the Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A. The game features as my football bet of the day for Wednesday, November 13.

Flamengo vs Atletico Mineiro Odds

*Please click on the link above to be taken to the main Flamengo vs Atletico Mineiro page on betfred.com (or app) for all the live betting prices on this match.

Atletico are licking their wounds after Sunday's late defeat at the MRV Arena. Galo were always up against it following their 3-1 first-leg defeat in Rio de Janeiro a week prior, but there was hope that an early goal could see Flamengo crumble. However, that never transpired, and substitute Gonzalo Plata struck in the 83rd minute to set the seal on the visitors' cup success.

Plata, alongside Gerson, Leo Ortiz, Erick Pulgar, Giorgian de Arrascaeta and Guillermo Valera, won't be available on Wednesday as the quintet have all been called up for their respective international teams, while Atletico will be missing Guilherme Arana, Alan Franco, Eduardo Vargas and Junior Alonso for the same reasons.

Nevertheless, the hosts can still call upon the likes of Gabriel 'Gabigol' Barbosa, Bruno Henrique and Luiz Araujo, while the visitors still have their front pairing of Hulk and Paulinho, one of the most formidable duos in Brazil despite both misfiring on the weekend.

Flamengo are among the division's highest scorers with only the top two teams - Palmeiras (54) and Botafogo (52) - netting more times than the Rubro-Negro. They've scored in their last five games across all competitions and have only been held at home twice in 16 Serie A contests this season - only once since the start of May.

Buoyed by Sunday's victory, the seven-time Serie A winners should be going all out for the three points in midweek with just six league games remaining.

There's still plenty for them to play for, even if a tilt for the title looks out of reach. Flamengo are currently 10 points behind leaders Botafogo with a game in hand but would have to be pretty much perfect from here on in to stand any chance of finishing first.

Still, a top-four spot, which grants automatic entry into the group stage of the Copa Libertadores, is up for grabs, and Flamengo are just one place and one point behind Internacional, who currently occupy the fourth and final berth.

A win on Wednesday would lift Filipe Luis' side above Inter and take them to within two points of third-placed Fortaleza and three points of second-placed Palmeiras.

Football Odds

Atletico, meanwhile, are currently 11th, and stand next to no chance of qualifying for next season's Copa Libertadores through their league position, although they face Botafogo in the final of this year's competition later this month and would secure automatic entry by beating Fogo.

Serie A-wise, though, the best Gabriel Milito's side can probably hope for is seventh, which would qualify them for the Copa Sudamericana, the second-most prestigious club competition in South American football.

Their place in the top 12, and therefore in the Copa Sudamericana, is not yet secure, though, as Vitoria in 13th are only three points behind them.

Therefore, Atletico need to start picking up points quickly, and they will want to regain some momentum ahead of the Copa Libertadores final having failed to win their last five games in all competitions, losing four of them.

Worryingly, they've failed to score in three of the five, although their first blank was a goalless affair with River Plate in the Copa Libertadores semi-final second leg, having already won the first leg 3-0.

Their last Serie A match was a 1-0 defeat to Atletico Goianiense last Thursday, but that was only the seventh time in 31 league games that they have failed to score; in fact, 65 per cent (20) of Atletico's matches this season have seen both teams score - only three clubs have recorded a higher percentage at this stage.

One of them is Flamengo, with BTTS - Yes landing in 69 per cent (22) of their 32 Serie A contests.

There were six goals scored in the reverse league fixture between Atletico and Flamengo at the former's MRV Arena in July as the Rubro-Negro ran out 4-2 winners in Belo Horizonte. Bruno Henrique and Carlinhos sent the visitors into a 2-0 lead at half-time and they were three to the good within six minutes of the second-half whistle as Ayrton Lucas found the net.

Hulk's penalty briefly threatened a comeback before a red for Atletico midfielder Romulo ruined their chances, and Bruno Henrique made sure of the points for Flamengo in the 68th minute. Hulk scored another consolation in the latter stages but the damage was done.

Both teams also scored in the first leg of their Copa do Brasil tie; De Arrascaeta and Gabigol (x2) struck for Flamengo, while Alan Kardec was on target for Atletico.

Neither side will be at full strength on Wednesday but I believe there is enough quality in both to conjure up a couple of goals at the Maracana, at least one for each, so both teams to score is well worthy of consideration, in my opinion.

BTTS - Yes is 10/11 with Betfred, but I'm adding in the double chance result on Flamengo as they have lost just three times in 16 Serie A home games this season, and just once since July 12.

Atletico, meanwhile, are winless in their last nine away matches across all competitions, including their last four in the Brazilian top-flight, while this bet has landed 17 times this year.

Offers

Acca Flex: Place a pre-match 5+ leg Football accumulator and get a CASH bonus up to 100% if all of your selections win or your money back as CASH if one leg lets you down.

You can read all our latest Football Bets of the Day at our dedicated Betfred Insights content hub.