Brasileirao 2023: Top Teams to Watch This Season

Teams to Watch

Brazilian teams have been busy in the transfer season, and there have been several major signings. Some of the biggest-name players coming to the Brasileirao are Marcelo, Luis Suarez, Gerson and Yuri Alberto. In the past few years, teams such as Internacional and Atletico Mineiro have been on the rise, whilst clubs with more history such as Santos, Cruzeiro and Sao Paulo have been in slow decline. Nevertheless, the title is up for grabs and if we know something about the Brasileirao, it is that anything can happen.

Here are some of the top teams in the league that have a genuine chance of winning the title next season.

Palmeiras

Palmeiras are the reigning champions of the Brasileirao and won the Campeonato Paulista (the top flight league in the state of Sao Paulo). The team started 2023 by winning the Supercopa do Brasil. Much of the success was down to Rony, their key forward, who notched 12 goals in the league last season. However, supporters and fans will most likely be watching the young Endrick. He may have only played 11 games last season but managed to score 3 goals and also signed a €35 million contract with Real Madrid - where he is expected to become a star. The prodigy still has one more full season left at Palmeiras before he leaves in June 2024. A more imminent departure is Gustavo Scarpa, who left to play in the Premier League in January. He was a key midfielder who produced 19 goals and assists for Palmeiras in the league.

Flamengo

Flamengo struggled last season, and by the end of it, the team had collapsed and they placed fifth in the table. Their performances dipped in the last 4 games and they only managed to claim 1 point. Perhaps then, it was a good bit of transfer business when they snapped up coach Vitor Pereira from the Corinthians, who pipped Flamengo to the fourth place. Pereira came to the Corinthians after they finished 12th in 2020/21, and he took that team to 5th place in his first season and then 4th in his second. Another transfer that will undoubtedly excite Flamengo fans is the arrival of the speedy winger Gerson from Marseille. If he can link up with the striking partnership of Pedro and Gabriel Barbosa, Flamengo's attack will be seriously dangerous. Last year, the striking duo notched 22 goals between them.

Fluminense

The prospect of Marcelo returning to his home country has excited many fans. He will bring a lot of experience and quality to Fluminense in the upcoming season. The club finished in the bottom half of the table from the mid-2010s until 2020, when they suddenly broke out and placed fifth. The following season, the team ended up in seventh place, and last season they finished third. Under coach Fernando Diniz, Fluminense has slowly become a threat again to teams all across the country. Their Argentine striker, German Cano, scored a hefty 26 goals last season and won the golden boot. Fluminense was very busy in the transfer season, signing a handful of players on loan and on contract, demonstrating their intent to win the title.

Atletico Mineiro

Atletico Mineiro won the first official Brazilian football championship in 1971. In the 90s up until 2009, the team went through financial turmoil and was even relegated to Serie B for one season. Since then, it has slowly picked itself up and even won a second Serie A in 2021. In recent years, it has been somewhat difficult to predict how the team will perform, as it has had seasons in which it was competing for the title but also those where it finished mid-table. Last season they struggled to maintain consistency, even with their world-class striker, Hulk. Aged 36, Hulk is not slowing down by any means, and last season he scored 12 goals in the league. To support him in attack, they can field Eduardo Vargas, a Chilean forward who scored 5 goals. In the transfer market, Atletico Mineiro acquired Argentine coach Eduardo Coudet. Previously, Coudet had managed Celta Vigo in La Liga.

Other Teams to Watch

Corinthians, one of the most widely supported clubs in the country, finished fourth last season and are a great team to watch. Their new coach, Fernando Lazaro, may not have much experience but he is young and full of fresh ideas. They also signed Yuri Alberto from Zenit, to bolster their strike force. Internacional is also an up-and-coming team, after finishing second last season. Their striker, Alemao, and midfielders Pedro Henrique and Alan Patrick make a formidable trio that notched up a combined 21 goals last season.

Cruzeiro, owned by the legendary Luis Ronaldo, is back in Serie A after a 2-year stint in the second division. The team signed strikers Gilberto and Wesley to enhance their attack. Gremio, who won the Serie B last season and achieved promotion, will be the top underdogs in the competition. After a sharp drop in form in 2021, the team has climbed out of the second division and it will hope to wreak havoc in the top flight. Did we mention they bought former Barcelona and Liverpool striker Luis Suarez?

Hundreds of Bets on the Brasileirao

There will be many thrilling matches in the upcoming season, and each match brings multitudes of betting opportunities. For each game, you can find hundreds of pregame betting markets. The live betting markets are also rife with possibilities, giving you the chance to make the most of every moment of every game.