Can Diego Souza save Sport Recife from relegation? (pic: Globo Esporte)

The league season comes to an end today. Corinthians may have already won the title but there are Libertadores places up for grabs and a relegation scrap taking place.

Thanks to Grêmio’s Copa Libertadores win last week, eight Brazilian clubs will now qualify for next year’s continental competition. Six teams will go straight into the group phases, while two more (those that finish in 7th and 8th in the league) will go into a qualifying phase. That means that the top five – Corinthians, Palmeiras, Grêmio, Santos and Cruzeiro – have all already qualified for the 2018 Copa Libertadores and don’t have much to play for this weekend. But the next seven teams in the table are all fighting for the final three spots. São Paulo, who are 12th, could potentially still make it although they will need to win and hope that several other results go their way.

At the other end of the table, four teams will get relegated. Atlético-GO and Ponte Preta are already down, but Vitória, Coritiba, Sport and Avaí­ still have it all to to play for. Two of those four will go down.

If teams are level on points, the number of victories is used to separate teams before goal difference. Avaí­ have one less victory than their rivals, and a far worse goal difference, meaning that they need to win away at Santos, and hope that their rivals all drop points, to have any chance of staying up. It looks unlikely.

Vitória and Coritiba have a one point advantage in this race, but face tough matches against Flamengo and Chapecoense who are looking for the Libertadores spots. A victory for Sport then, at home to Corinthians, who have nothing to play for, might just be enough to see them stay up.

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The matches all kick off at 5pm Brazil time, 7pm UK time. For updated league table and recent results, check out the dedicated Serie A page.

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