Fortaleza and Ceará will play the fourth Clássico-Rei of 2025 in the return of the Brasileirão

Another important classic will be taking place in the 13th round of the Brazilian Championship, which resumes after the break for the Club World Cup. This Sunday, at 8:30 pm, Fortaleza and Ceará will play the traditional Clássico-Rei at Arena Castelão in Fortaleza, Ceará. A strong turnout is expected, as nearly 30,000 tickets had been sold by Friday.

The Brasileirão was suspended on June 12th for the Club World Cup. Due to Flamengo, Fluminense, Botafogo, and Palmeiras' participation in the international competition, some matches in the 12th and 13th rounds have no scheduled dates, which did not affect Fortaleza, which has played 12 matches. Ceará, on the other hand, has a game in hand, as it did not face Fluminense in the 12th round.

This will be the 614th Clássico-Rei. In 613 matches, Fortaleza has won 188, Ceará has won 208, and Ceará has drawn 217. This season, the rivals have faced each other three times, all in the Campeonato Cearense. In the first stage, Ceará won 2-1. In the final, Ceará won the first leg 1-0, becoming champions after a 1-1 draw in the return leg.

In the last round of the Brasileirão, Fortaleza hosted Santos and lost 3-2, remaining in the relegation zone with ten points. It was the team's fourth consecutive defeat, having last won on May 10th, when they thrashed Juventude 5-0. At home, they have two wins, one draw, and three losses. To make matters worse, they lost to Bahia in the quarterfinals of the Copa do Nordeste, 2-1, last Wednesday, and were eliminated.

Seeking recovery, the club made moves in the transfer market and signed midfielder Matheus Pereira and forwards José Herrera, formerly of Argentine Juniors, and Adam Bareiro, formerly of River Plate, in addition to the return of midfielder Ryan Guilherme from UD Leiria in Portugal. Meanwhile, the list of departures includes Dylan Borrero, Felipe Jonatan, Lucas Sasha, Pedro Augusto, and Pol Fernández.

Coach Juan Pablo Vojvoda will be without striker Marinho when he forms the starting lineup. Marinho was sent off against Vasco, and he was punished and will have to serve a suspension, although Fortaleza is still seeking a suspension. Moisés, David Luiz, and Bruno Pacheco remain in the medical department.

Vojvoda analyzed the team's return and projected improvement. "We had time to prepare, and I saw things we practiced, but also things we need to correct. We are all responsible for correcting and improving this situation. I'm confident that if we continue on this path, Fortaleza will achieve results."

As the game against Fluminense was postponed, the last time Ceará took to the field in the Brasileirão was against Atlético-MG, on June 1st, when they lost 1-0, in Fortaleza (CE), their second defeat in a row.

With 15 points, they sit in the middle of the table, closer to the relegation zone. On Wednesday, they also played in the Copa do Nordeste and advanced to the semifinals. They beat Sport on penalties, 4-2, after a scoreless draw in regulation time.

Despite seeking reinforcements, Ceará has not confirmed any names and has seen the departures of Alejandro Martínez, Lelê, Léo Rafael, and Recalde. Coach Léo Condé is also without Luiz Otávio, who is recovering from an injury, but has no suspensions.

Despite celebrating the Copa do Nordeste result, Condé reinforced Ceará's focus. "Our biggest focus in the second half of the year is definitely the Brazilian Championship, but the Copa do Nordeste has its value too. We know what it represents, and it gives us confidence."

TECHNICAL DATA SHEET:

FORTALEZA X CEARÁ

FORTALEZA – João Ricardo; Brítez, Kuscevic, Mancha and Diogo Barbosa; Lucas Sasha, Matheus Pereira, Martinez and Pochettino; Yago Pikachu and Lucero. Coach: Juan Pablo Vojvoda.

CEARÁ – Bruno Ferreira; Fabiano, Marllon, Willian Machado and Matheus Bahia; Sobral, Dieguinho and Lucas Mugni; Galeano, Pedro Raul and Pedro Henrique. Coach: Léo Condé.

REFEREE – Raphael Claus (SP).

TIME – 8:30 p.m.

LOCATION – Arena Castelão, in Fortaleza (CE).