Fluminense vs Cruzeiro Prediction and Betting Tips | July 17th 2025

In their first outing after their stellar FIFA Club World Cup campaign, Fluminense play host to Cruzeiro in round 14 of the Brasileiro Serie A on Thursday. Leonardo Jardim’s men have failed to win their last 11 visits to the Estadio Maracana and will head into the game looking to end this poor 13-year run.

Fluminense defied the odds to reach the Club World Cup semi-finals, finishing second in Group F before knocking out Inter Miami and Saudi powerhouse Al-Hilal in the knockout stages.

However, their fairytale run came to an end at the hands of eventual winners Chelsea as they fell to a 2-0 defeat courtesy of two sublime strikes from former childhood star Joao Pedro.

Head coach Renato Portaluppi will hope their cup run can catalyze a strong return to Serie A, where they have picked up six wins and two draws from 11 matches so far to sit seventh in the table, albeit with two games in hand.

On the other hand, Cruzeiro continue their surge to the top of the Serie A standings as they picked up a 4-1 victory over Gremio at the Mineirão last weekend.

Jardim’s men have gone unbeaten in 13 of their last 14 matches across all competitions, claiming 10 wins and three draws since late April.

Cruzeiro have picked up 27 points from their 13 Serie A matches so far to sit second in the standings, only behind league leaders Flamengo on goal difference.

Fluminense vs Cruzeiro Head-To-Head and Key Numbers

• With 21 wins from the last 45 meetings between the sides, Fluminense boast a superior record in the history of this fixture.
• Cruzeiro have picked up 14 wins in that time, while the spoils have been shared on 10 occasions.
• Fluminense are unbeaten in their last 13 home games against Jardim’s men, picking up eight wins and three draws since a 2-0 loss in November 2012.
• Cruzeiro are on a run of five consecutive away matches without defeat across all competitions, claiming three wins and two draws since April’s 2-1 loss against Palestino in the Copa Sudamericana.

Fluminense vs Cruzeiro Prediction

With the thrill from their solid Club World Cup campaign still in the air, Fluminense will return to league action in high spirits as they look to move into the upper echelons of the Serie A table. Portaluppi’s men have their work cut out against a well-drilled Cruzeiro side, but we predict they will make the most of their home advantage.

Prediction: Fluminense 2-1 Cruzeiro

Fluminense vs Cruzeiro Betting Tips

Tip 1: Result - Fluminense to win

Tip 2: First to score - Fluminense (The hosts have opened the scoring in five of their last six games against Cruzeiro)

Tip 3: Over 4.5 cards - Yes (There have also been at least five bookings in the last seven meetings between the two teams)

Edited by Peter P