First Leg Matches of the 2025 Copa do Brasil Semifinals: Matchups, Favorites, and Where to Watch!

The Brasileirão may have ended last weekend, but the football season in Brazil is far from over. This week, the first-leg matches of the 2025 Copa do Brasil semifinals put Mineirão and Maracanã in a tense atmosphere. To follow the real-time odds and available markets, access the Sports Betting page on Blaze.

On one side, Cruzeiro hosts Corinthians in Belo Horizonte, with the chance to take the lead in front of their fans, trying to turn home advantage and intensity into a lead in the first chapter of the tie. On the other hand, Vasco and Fluminense play a classic at the Maracanã that is usually decided by details.

To help you analyze these games, we have prepared this guide with historical background, predictions based on odds, and where to watch each match in Brazil. Remember: the odds are dynamic and may vary according to the volume of bets and market updates.

Cruzeiro vs. Corinthians

This Wednesday (10), at 7:30 pm (EST), Mineirão will be the stage for the first game of the semifinals of the 2025 Copa do Brasil. Raposa receives Timão at the beginning of a 180-minute dispute — and, in knockout matches, the first leg usually dictates the tone of the confrontation.

About the game

With home advantage, Cruzeiro has the chance to transform the weight of the home into a real advantage, with the fans pushing every tackle as if it were the last. Not by chance, the club arrives carrying an enormous historical weight in the tournament: six titles, a mark that places Raposa as the biggest winner of the Copa do Brasil.

On the field, the campaign in the 2025 edition helps explain the favoritism: in six games, Cruzeiro has five wins and one draw, with 11 goals scored and none conceded. Individually, Kaio Jorge is the big name so far. With five goals, he is the top scorer for Cruzeiro and the competition.

On the other side, Corinthians arrives with that profile of a team that knows how to survive in a big game: controlling the pressure, choosing the right time to accelerate, and trying to keep the confrontation alive to decide in the return game. The club has already lifted the trophy three times and, in 2025, is having a perfect campaign. It has won all six games it has played, with eight goals scored and none conceded.

For the semifinal, both sides have absences. In Cruzeiro, Marquinhos (right winger) and Wanderson (left winger) remain sidelined due to injury. Corinthians will be without Yuri Alberto (center forward), due to groin problems, and Rodrigo Garro (attacking midfielder), with calf problems.

Under Leonardo Jardim's command, Cruzeiro has stood out for a style of play that combines pressure and control; while Corinthians tends to compete strongly without the ball and be pragmatic when it finds spaces, especially away from home.

Historical Record

The teams have a history of respect, and overall, the duel is usually well contested. Adding up all competitions, the teams have faced each other 89 times, with 35 wins for Corinthians, 22 draws, and 32 wins for Cruzeiro.

When it comes to the Copa do Brasil, the balance becomes even more evident: in 12 matches in the tournament, there were five wins for Corinthians (42%), two draws (17%), and five wins for Cruzeiro (42%).

But Mineirão changes the reading. In Copa do Brasil matches with Cruzeiro as the home team, there were six games, with four wins for Cruzeiro (67%) and two wins for Corinthians (33%). In other words, when this match takes place in Belo Horizonte for the tournament, Cruzeiro usually takes advantage of playing at home to turn the night into an advantage on the scoreboard.

Predictions

The odds indicate Cruzeiro as the favorite. A victory for Raposa appears with odds of 1.67, while a draw is at 3.50 and a Corinthians victory is at 5.60.

In the qualification market (who advances to the semi-finals considering the aggregate score and, if necessary, penalties), the scenario also remains favorable to the Minas Gerais team: Cruzeiro has odds of 1.46 to qualify, against 2.62 for Corinthians.

In the projections for the winner of the 2025 Copa do Brasil, Cruzeiro appears among the main names in the fight for the title, with odds of 3.00, while Corinthians appears with 4.00.

It is worth remembering: these odds function as a thermometer of favoritism and may change until the ball rolls, according to the volume of bets and market updates.

Where to watch

The match will be broadcast on Prime Video (streaming).

Bet on Cruzeiro vs. Corinthians at Blaze!

Vasco vs. Fluminense

On Thursday (11), at 6 pm (EST), Maracanã will once again be the scene of a classic with the feel of a final: Vasco and Fluminense begin the semi-final knowing that, in knockout matches, the first leg is where the trajectory is built (or complicated).

About the game

The Vasco team tries to use the Maracanã atmosphere to get ahead. The club won the Copa do Brasil in 2011 and returns to a semifinal, aiming to end a nearly 15-year drought without winning the tournament. In the 2025 campaign, Vasco has been difficult to beat. In eight matches, they have three wins and five draws, with 13 goals scored and five conceded.

On the other side, Fluminense arrives with the confidence of a team that knows how to play with the score. Champion of the Copa do Brasil in 2007, the Tricolor arrives at the semifinal with strong numbers: in eight games, there are six wins, one draw, and one loss, with 20 goals scored and five conceded — the best attack in the competition.

In terms of absences, Vasco has the following players out: Adson (right winger) is out due to a fractured tibia, Jair (defensive midfielder) remains out after a cruciate ligament injury, and Lucas Piton (left-back) is out due to a knee sprain. In Fluminense's case, the absences are in defense, with Manoel (defender) out due to knee problems; in attack, Germán Cano (center forward) is out after a knee sprain.

Fernando Diniz's Vasco seeks control through possession and a more measured pace. Luis Zubeldía's Fluminense is more direct and intense, with high pressure and rapid acceleration after recovering the ball.

Historical Record

In all competitions, there have been 337 games between the teams, with 123 wins for Vasco, 101 draws, and 113 wins for Fluminense.

In the Copa do Brasil, the sample is short and noteworthy for its balance: in four matches, there were three draws (75%) and one win for Vasco (25%), with no wins for Fluminense.

And when Vasco is the home team in the Copa do Brasil, history reinforces the classic with few spaces: in two games, there were two draws.

Predictions

In the odds for this first game, Fluminense appears as the favorite to win, even with Vasco as the home team. A Fluminense victory is at 2.00, while a draw has odds of 3.25 and a Vasco victory is at 3.85.

In the qualification market, the favoritism becomes even clearer: Fluminense has odds of 1.29 to qualify, against 3.45 for Vasco.

In the projections for the championship winner, Fluminense appears with odds of 3.00, one of the favorites, while Vasco appears at 5.00, the underdog.

It is worth remembering: these odds function as a thermometer of favoritism and may change until the ball rolls, according to the volume of bets and market updates.

Where to Watch

The classic will be broadcast via Prime Video (streaming).

Bet on Vasco vs. Fluminense at Blaze!

Bet on the 2025 Copa do Brasil at Blaze

The Copa do Brasil returns three months after the quarterfinals with four heavyweight teams vying for every ball in search of the coveted spot in the grand final. At Blaze, you'll find updated markets and odds to follow the Copa do Brasil 2025 matches, always responsibly.

But before making any predictions, it's worth remembering what keeps everything in its right place: betting is entertainment, not investment. It involves the risk of financial losses and can impact the mental health of those who don't set limits. Therefore, gamble consciously — set a limit, don't use money you might need, and know when to stop.

Ready to experience the excitement of the final stretch responsibly? Bet on the 2025 Copa do Brasil at Blaze and enjoy each game with more intensity and awareness.