Botafogo RJ vs Vasco da Gama prediction 08.10.2026 | Serie A
Botafogo
Kick off:
Date:
Vasco da Gama
1
2.77
X
3.44
2
2.56
Contents
- Competition: Serie A
- Date: 8th October 2026
- Kick-off: 00:30 UK / 01:30 CEST
- Venue: Estádio Nilton Santos
The Clássico Alvinegro is back. My last trip to Rio was wild, but nothing matches the absolute chaos of this rivalry. Botafogo holds the historical edge here. Yet, Vasco always turns these local derbies into a complete dogfight. Botafogo wants to protect their turf and assert dominance. Vasco is desperate to play spoiler. Expect tackles to fly early. Will the hosts lock it down, or can Vasco pull off a massive upset on enemy territory? Let's find some winners.
Botafogo vs Vasco da Gama Head to Head (H2H) stats
-
Vasco da Gama
1 : 2
Botafogo
Serie A
-
Vasco da Gama
2 : 0
Botafogo
Carioca Serie A
-
Botafogo
3 : 5
Vasco da Gama
Copa do Brasil
-
Vasco da Gama
1 : 1
Botafogo
Copa do Brasil
-
Vasco da Gama
0 : 2
Botafogo
Serie A
-
Vasco da Gama
1 : 0
Botafogo
Carioca Serie A
Botafogo commands recent bragging rights, securing 4 wins compared to Vasco’s 2 wins, alongside 3 draws across the last nine meetings. While Vasco struggled to find the net in three separate shutout losses, they did manage to edge out Botafogo on penalties during a tight Copa do Brasil quarter final tie last year. The average number of goals per game is 2.22.
Botafogo RJ team overview
Botafogo prepares for this one on the back of a disappointing 2-0 defeat away at Mirassol. O Glorioso has endured an incredibly frustrating, mixed bag of a campaign so far, scraping together only 35 points from 28 league matches.
I honestly expected a much more convincing run from them at this stage. Thankfully, the squad has been far sturdier on their own turf, remaining unbeaten in their last three Série A home fixtures at the Estádio Nilton Santos.
They conceded only three goals in that spell. Up front, the main threat remains Arthur Cabral, who leads the team's scoring charts with seven goals this season.
The squad looks mostly healthy, but avoiding silly defensive slip-ups will completely decide their fate against a bitter rival.
Last matches of Botafogo
-
Mirassol
2 : 0
Botafogo
Serie A
-
Botafogo
0 : 0
Palmeiras
Serie A
-
Flamengo
3 : 0
Botafogo
Serie A
-
Botafogo
1 : 0
Cienciano
Copa Sudamericana
-
Vitória
1 : 0
Botafogo
Serie A
Botafogo lineup
Goalkeeper
-
1
Raul
Defenders
-
4
Mateo Ponte
-
3
Arthur Chaves
-
5
Nahuel Ferraresi
-
13
Alex Telles
Midfielders
-
6
Cristian Medina
-
8
Danilo
-
7
Júnior Santos
Forwards
-
10
Savarino
-
16
Nathan Fernandes
-
19
Arthur Cabral
Vasco da Gama team overview
Vasco da Gama enters this one on the back of a spectacular 5-0 crushing of Coritiba. The Cruzmaltino have endured a truly grueling, high-stress league campaign overall, currently sitting dangerously down in 16th place with 31 points collected from 27 matches.
Pedro Emanuel's men have done reasonably well lately, escaping the immediate relegation zone by winning three of their last four league encounters. On the road, however, it is a completely different story.
Vasco currently boast only four wins from their last 12 away games across all competitions. I honestly worry about their travel fatigue.
Up front, the electric Andrés Gómez remains their primary attacking spark, chipping in with five crucial league goals so far this season. Fortunately, a clean bill of health means they have no notable absentees to worry about right now.
Last matches of Vasco da Gama
-
Gremio
1 : 2
Vasco da Gama
Serie A
-
Santa Fe
0 : 0
Vasco da Gama
Copa Sudamericana
-
Fluminense
1 : 0
Vasco da Gama
Serie A
-
Vitória
0 : 2
Vasco da Gama
Copa do Brasil
-
Vasco da Gama
3 : 1
Cruzeiro
Serie A
Vasco da Gama lineup
Goalkeeper
-
1
Léo Jardim
Defenders
-
96
Paulo Henrique
-
4
Alan Saldivia
-
30
Robert Renan
-
6
Lucas Piton
Midfielders
-
5
Tchê Tchê
-
18
Thiago Mendes
-
10
Johan Rojas
Forwards
-
17
Nuno Moreira
-
11
Andrés Gómez
-
20
Brenner
Prediction
This derby screams stalemate. Botafogo is tough to beat at home, but their recent attack looks completely blunt. Meanwhile, Vasco is high on confidence after their five-goal thriller. They don't give away much defensively either. I put a few quid on a low-scoring tie because these intense Rio derbies almost always get bogged down in midfield warfare. Expect a tight, nervy battle. A 1-1 draw feels spot on.
Three reasons we expect under 2.5 goals in this game
- Only one of the last four games of Botafogo finished with more than two goals.
- Vasco da Gama conceded only one goal across their last four encounters.
- Bets on under 2.5 goals won in five of the last seven meetings between Botafogo and Vasco.
Main prediction Botafogo - Vasco da Gama
Under 2.5 goals
Best Odds:
Melbet
2.05
Botafogo vs Vasco da Gama standings in Serie A
| Regular Season | P | W | D | L |
G - A
|
GD | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Flamengo | 28 | 18 | 6 | 4 | 55 - 23 | +32 | 60 |
| 2 | Palmeiras | 28 | 16 | 9 | 3 | 47 - 21 | +26 | 57 |
| 3 | Athletico PR | 28 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 43 - 32 | +11 | 49 |
| 4 | Fluminense | 28 | 13 | 9 | 6 | 44 - 36 | +8 | 48 |
| 5 | Bahia | 28 | 12 | 10 | 6 | 43 - 35 | +8 | 46 |
| 6 | Cruzeiro | 28 | 13 | 6 | 9 | 42 - 40 | +2 | 45 |
| 7 | Atlético Mineiro | 28 | 12 | 7 | 9 | 37 - 32 | +5 | 43 |
| 8 | Santos | 28 | 11 | 8 | 9 | 43 - 41 | +2 | 41 |
| 9 | Coritiba | 28 | 10 | 8 | 10 | 37 - 43 | -6 | 38 |
| 10 | São Paulo | 28 | 10 | 6 | 12 | 33 - 32 | +1 | 36 |
| 11 | Bragantino | 28 | 10 | 6 | 12 | 33 - 32 | +1 | 36 |
| 12 | Botafogo | 28 | 9 | 8 | 11 | 41 - 45 | -4 | 35 |
| 13 | Vitória | 28 | 9 | 6 | 13 | 28 - 42 | -14 | 33 |
| 14 | Corinthians | 28 | 8 | 8 | 12 | 29 - 32 | -3 | 32 |
| 15 | Mirassol | 28 | 8 | 8 | 12 | 33 - 42 | -9 | 32 |
| 16 | Vasco da Gama | 27 | 8 | 7 | 12 | 34 - 41 | -7 | 31 |
| 17 | Grêmio | 28 | 7 | 8 | 13 | 30 - 38 | -8 | 29 |
| 18 | Internacional | 28 | 6 | 10 | 12 | 30 - 36 | -6 | 28 |
| 19 | Remo | 28 | 5 | 8 | 15 | 32 - 47 | -15 | 23 |
| 20 | Chapecoense | 27 | 3 | 9 | 15 | 29 - 53 | -24 | 18 |