Man of the Match: Guilherme Burdisso (Arsenal)
The protestations of the Arsenal players continue after the whistle. Referee threatening more cards for the Argentines.
FT: Fluminense 1×0 Arsenal di Sarandí
90’+3 Panic stations for Flu. Anywhere will do defending.
90’+2 Corner for Arsenal, Digão turns it behind for another.
Substitution: Digão on for Diguinho to sure up the defence.
90′ Red Card. Leandro Euzebio dismissed for catching the grounded Arsenal player in the face with his boot. Dirty from the centre-back.
89′ Thiago Neves flashes a shot from 30-yards just wide of the post. Never really threatening though.
87′ The Rio side are comfortable here for the moment. Sting really gone from the game.
85′ Wouldn’t like to see a foul-count here. Wouldn’t be pleasant reading for Fluminense as they give away two more free-kicks in succession.
83′ The red-cards seem to have helped Fluminense. They have taken the momentum away from Arsenal.
82′ Thiago Neves swings in a crossed free-kick for Flu, straight to the goalkeeper.
81′ Substitution. Adrián Gonzalez on for Húgo Nervo at right-back for Arsenal
78′ Thiago Neves swings in a cross from the left for Flu, well doubt with by Burdisso for the Argentines.
76′ How will that affect the game? Wagner sent-off for a kick-out at the player who fouled him, Aguirre for a push in response.
75′ Red Cards. Wagner and Aguirre dismissed after a scuffle breaks out in midfield. Needless, but this is the Libertadores.
73′ Diego Torres cross is plucked out of mid-air by Cavalieri, with two strikers waiting.
More substitutions: Wellington Nem on for Deco (Flu) and Jorge Córdoba on for Zelaya (Arsenal).
69′ This defending is atrocious. Arsenal get another free-header in the box. Missing for the nine hundredth time tonight.
68′ Yellow Card. Fred for another kick in midfield. The hand-bags continue.
66′ Predictably, Deco hits the wall. The rebound from Anderson is far, far over the bar.
65′ Foul on Diguinho and Fluminense have a dangerous 25-yeard free-kick. What can they do?
Substitution: Thiago Neves on for Rafael Sobis for Fluminense.
Substitution: Torres on for Esmerado in the Arsenal midfield.
62′ Sustained Fluminense possession before Edinho attempts to power-in a shot from 35 yards. Back to Arsenal.
59′ Close! Lisandro Lopez rises well once more to power a header just over the bar.
58′ Comedy stuff now from the Fluminense defence. Anderson plays Zelaya well onside, before Leandro Euzebio scrambles the ball just past his post for a corner.
57′ Leguizamon threatens once more, turning Anderson before a delay allows the defender to scramble the ball clear. Cavalieri claims the following cross well.
56′ Fluminense finally string together some passes in attack, but Carlinhos crosses straight to goalkeeper Campestrini.
55′ O dear! Fluminense try the old play all attackers offside from the free-kick trick. Almost mess it up horribly, but the linesman gives the decision.
54′ Carlinhos fires wide with his right-foot from 30 yards. Wasteful.
53′ Too much of that. Bruno tries an impossible through-ball and gives Arsenal possesson once more.
51′ Fluminense launch a counter, with the Arsenal defence incredibly deep following a corner. Wasted by Rafael Sobis, going for a chipped through ball.
50′ Another chance to get the big boys forward though, as Nervo’s cross is headed for a corner by Leandro Euzebio. Cleared.
49′ Second-corner comes to nothing.
48′ Great save! Lisandro Lopez wins the header from the corner and Cavalieri does well to tip the ball over the bar.
47′ Anderson has already continued a trend of the first-half, giving away a dangerous free-kick. This time Leguizamon hits the wall. Corner.
46′ Second-half underway…
HT: Fluminense 1×0 Arsenal di Sarandí
45’+1 Yellow Card. Deco, for a cynical trip in midfield. The resulting free-kick causes havoc in the Flu defence and a corner is won. Cleared.
45′ Carbonero fires tamely wide from 20 yards, after Nervo’s attempted cross falls to his feet. Worrying times for Fluminense.
43′ Close! Zelaya has the beating of Anderson in the air, as the ball is lofted in from the left. Any real contact and that is a goal. Great cross from Leguizamon.
41′ More danger, as Aguirre gets in behind right-back Bruno. Luckily there is enough cover and the ball is cleared.
38′ Fluminense looking incredibly shaky at the back, as another free-kick flies in from deep. This one headed clear, only to the edge of the box.
36′ Unbelievable! A free-header in the middle of the box for Carbonero (Arsenal). Headed into the ground and over the bar. Must score..
35′ Save! Leguizamon beats the offside trap at last, but Cavalieri is quickly off his line to save. Good goalkeeping.
34′ Crowd are awoken as Rafael Sóbis chases down the goalkeeper. Nothing doing.
32′ Leguizamon manages to roll Anderson in the Fluminense defence and wins a corner. Corner headed well over the bar.
30′ Must do better! What a chance that is for Fred, as he skips past one defender and has time to get the ball onto his right-foot in the box, only to roll the ball to the keeper. Good play by Wagner and Deco to create the chance.
28′ Another Leguizamon free-kick struggles to get past the first-man. Not properly cleared though and an Arsenal shot flies high-and-wide from 20 yards.
26′ Crunching tackle on Fluminense left-back Carlinhos by Nervo wins a throw-in for the Argentines. Carlinhos felt that.
25′ The Engenhão is not full tonight by any means, but it’s nice to see a decent crowd after the State Championships.
24′ Save! Wagner with a free-kick from the right, goes through the wall and forces goalkeeper Campestrini into a good low save.
22′ It is a scrappy affair in midfield, with lots of niggly fouls. Fluminense need to assert some control.
21′ Fluminense are in the lead here, but they are not stopping the Argentines threatening at times. Need to shut up shop a bit more in midfield.
18′ Controversy! Arsenal denied a good goalscoring chance for offside (incorrectly). Woudn’t have mattered, as the striker shot anyway, wide of the near post with a deiicate chip.
18′ The keeper has to save it, but Fred’s 25 yard effort is straight down the throat of Campestrini in the Arsenal net.
16′ Handbags! Fred and Lisandro Lopez have a disagreement over the defender’s rough-handling of the Fluminense striker. Free-kick.
15′ Another dangerous free-kick from wide for Arsenal, the third so far. But, once more disappoints. This time not even making the box.
14′ Head-tennis in the midfield, only ended as the referee blows for a foul on Deco.
13′ Bruno, a summer-signing from Figueirense makes a move forward down the right for Fluminense, but well dealt with by Pérez.
11′ Appeals! Some Arsenal shouts for a free-kick after a scramble in the box, but nothing doing in the eyes of the referee.
10′ Diguinho fires wide from range after a neat Deco back-heel. Flu threatening in attack so far, not much from Arsenal.
8′ Deco getting a lot of early touches for the Carioca side, good sign for Abel Braga’s men.
6′ Good spell of pressure for Fluminense this, as Arsenal’s Lisandro Lopez scrambles a header clear.
5′ Can Arsenal respond? Tough ask now…
4′ GOAL! Forget over-reliance on Fred, he has scored! The ball is cut-back by Carlinhos on the left and Fred strikes the back of the net. Fluminense 1×0 Arsenal
3′ First moment of the match, as Arsenal swing in a free-kick and Cavalieri punches clear.
1′ We are underway… Predictions? I’m going for a Fluminense home win.
Don’t know much about the opponents tonight? Read an Arsenal factfile here.
Fluminense: Diego Cavalieri; Bruno, Leandro Euzébio, Anderson, Carlinhos; Edinho, Diguinho, Deco, Wagner; Rafael Sobis, Fred.
Arsenal: Campestrini; Nervo, López, Burdisso, Pérez; Carbonero, Esmerado, Marcone, Aguirre; Zelaya, Leguizamon.
Pre-game: Whilst neighbours Flamengo have been in ‘crisis’ over the summer break, Fluminense have quietly strengthened and now have one of the strongest squads in South América. However, can they overcome their reliance on Fred?
