Brasileirão Table

Twenty clubs, 38 rounds, four relegated rather than three.

Reading the Brasileirão table

Twenty clubs, 38 rounds, four relegated. That last number does more work than it looks. A fifth of the division goes down every year, so the fight at the bottom involves twice as many clubs as it would in England and survives into the final round far more often.

The top of the table carries the Copa Libertadores places. The first six qualify, and the Copa do Brasil winner takes a place as well. If that club has already finished in the top six, the league place passes down to seventh, so a cup final in the autumn can move the European-style cut-off after the league positions look settled.

Why the table moves so much

Brazilian clubs play state championships, domestic cups and continental competition alongside the league, and the load falls unevenly. A club in the middle of a Libertadores tie will send a rotated side out for the Série A round either side of it. Two clubs on the same points can have played very different seasons, and the fixture list explains more of this table than form does.

Coloured bands mark European qualification and relegation as things stand today. See also the fixtures and results, and where to watch.