Anselmi Under Pressure as Botafogo Faces Bragantino

Botafogo enters a critical match against Red Bull Bragantino this Saturday (March 21, 2026), with head coach Martín Anselmi facing increasing scrutiny. The game, opening the 8th round of the Brazilian Championship, takes place at the Cícero de Souza Marques Stadium in Bragança Paulista.

Botafogo’s Struggles and Current Standing

Botafogo currently sits in 18th place with three points, having played fewer games than some competitors. The team is on a four-game losing streak in the Brasileirão, following an initial victory over Cruzeiro. Recent matches have been hampered by player expulsions, with Alexander Barboza sent off against Flamengo and Cristian Medina against Palmeiras.

Team News and Expected Lineups

Martín Anselmi will have Allan and Alexander Barboza available after they served suspensions. Santi Rodríguez is expected to replace Jordan Barrera on the right side of the attack, whereas Bastos may be benched in favor of maintaining Ferraresi in defense.

Probable Botafogo Starting XI: Raul. Vitinho, Ferraresi (Bastos), Alexander Barboza, and Alex Telles; Santi Rodríguez, Allan, Danilo and Álvaro Montoro; Matheus Martins and Júnior Santos.

Absences for Botafogo

Botafogo will be without Kaio Pantaleão (left knee injury), Newton (shoulder injury), Cristian Medina (suspended), and Chris Ramos (foot trauma).

Red Bull Bragantino’s Form

Red Bull Bragantino has gone five games without a win, dating back to their elimination from the Campeonato Paulista by São Paulo. In their most recent match, a defeat to Bahia, coach Vagner Mancini fielded a reserve team to rest starters for the Botafogo game.

Match Details

Date: Saturday, March 21, 2026

Time: 4:00 PM (local time)

Venue: Cícero de Souza Marques Stadium, Bragança Paulista

Where to Watch

The match will be broadcast on SportTV and Premiere, with Vinicius Rodrigues providing commentary, alongside Sérgio Xavier Filho and Alex Meschini. Lucas Rangel and Fabio Juppa will be pitch-side reporters.

Refereeing Crew

Referee: Lucas Casagrande (PR)

Assistant 1: Victor Hugo Imazu dos Santos (FIFA/PR)

Assistant 2: Andrey Luiz de Freitas (PR)

4th Referee: Diego da Costa Cidral (SC)

VAR: Daniel Nobre Bins (VAR-Fifa/RS)

Lineups

Red Bull Bragantino: Clayton; Andrés Hurtado, Alix Vinícius, Gustavo Marques and Juninho Capixaba; Gabriel, Gustavo Neves and Rodriguinho; Mosquera, Lucas Barbosa and Eduardo Sasha – Coach: Vagner Mancini.

Botafogo: Raul; Vitinho, Ferraresi (Bastos), Alexander Barboza and Alex Telles; Santi Rodríguez, Allan, Danilo and Álvaro Montoro; Matheus Martins and Júnior Santos – Coach: Martín Anselmi.