LIVE- FOLLOW ATHLETICO X FLAMENGO FOR THE BRAZILIAN CUP

At 33 years old, Alex Sandro also felt the weight of physical exhaustion after the run of two consecutive games. After four months of inactivity, the full-back started two consecutive matches, which ended up taking its toll. In the 16th minute of the second half, he was replaced by Ayrton Lucas, showing signs of tiredness.

The player's physical condition raises doubts about his participation in the next match Flamengo, valid for the Brazilian Championship. On Sunday (22), the team will face Grêmio, in Porto Alegre, at 6:30 pm (Brasília time). Given Alex Sandro's obvious wear and tear, it is possible that coach Jorge Sampaoli will choose to preserve the athlete for the decisive game against Peñarol, next week. The player's physical preservation can be fundamental for him to be in full condition in the second leg of the Libertadores.

Flamengo is now finds himself in a delicate situation at Libertadores. With the defeat at Maracanã, the team will need to reverse the result in Montevideo to guarantee classification for the next phase of the competition. Despite the setback, Alex Sandro believes that Flamengo has all the conditions to beat Peñarol in Uruguay. According to him, the team has experienced players who know how to deal with the pressure and the hostile environment they will find at the Campeón del Siglo Stadium.

"We know it will be a difficult game, but Flamengo We have a qualified squad. We have experienced players, used to this type of situation. We are going there with confidence that we can turn the score around and advance in the competition", commented the full-back. Coach Tite will also need to make adjustments to the team for the second leg. The expectation is that Flamengo will enter the field with a more aggressive stance, seeking to control the game from the beginning and avoid the mistakes that cost them victory in the first duel. The team will not be able to repeat the passivity shown at Maracanã, at the risk of being eliminated from the Libertadores early.

Last Thursday (19), left-back Alex Sandro returned to play in a football match Libertadores after 13 years of absence. However, the return did not go as he expected. Starting in Flamengo's 1-0 defeat to Peñarol (URU), at Maracanã, the player highlighted that the red-black team was caught in the defensive strategy set up by the opponent. Despite the negative result, Alex Sandro expressed optimism regarding the possibility of qualifying in the second leg, which will be played in Montevideo next Thursday (26).

In his statements after the game, the full-back acknowledged that Flamengo was unable to impose its style of play. According to him, the team fell into the "trap" prepared by Peñarol, who knew how to take advantage of the mistakes made by the Brazilian team. However, Alex Sandro made a point of highlighting that the team will be prepared for the decisive clash away from home.

"More from What to say, we have to do it. We know that we didn't present our best football today. We often entered the game that Peñarol wanted, we forgot to play our football, what we train, with the quality we probably have. The next game will be different, but we will face it, face the environment, which is very difficult to play in. However, we have experienced players and we will be prepared", said the number 26.

The point highlighted by Alex Sandro. reflects well what the match was like. Peñarol's coach, Diego Aguirre, put together a strategy based on a strong rebound, waiting for Flamengo to make mistakes before counterattacking. The plan worked. In the 12th minute of the first half, midfielder Erick Pulgar missed a pass in midfield, and Peñarol took advantage of the opportunity. Javier Cabrera didn't waste anything and scored the only goal of the game, guaranteeing the Uruguayan team's victory.

Throughout the match, Flamengo demonstrated difficulties in breaking through Peñarol's defensive block. The Brazilian team had more possession of the ball, but was unable to transform this dominance into clear scoring chances. The lack of creativity and individual failures weighed on the final result. Jorge Sampaoli's team was unable to find solutions to overcome the opposing defense and ended up suffering from a lack of effectiveness in attack.

This Thursday's game also marked a curious reunion for Alex Sandro. The full-back had not played in a Libertadores match since June 2011, when he was still playing for Santos. On that occasion, the opponent was the same Peñarol. However, the result was very different. In the 2011 final, Santos won 2-1 and won the continental competition title. This time, the outcome was bitter for the full-back and his current club, Flamengo.

The 13-year difference between the two matches shows the long period in which Alex Sandro was away from South America's main club competition. In the meantime, the player built a solid career in Europe, playing for clubs such as Porto and Juventus, before returning to Brazilian football to play for Flamengo. Now, he is trying to find success again in the Libertadores, but he will face a complicated challenge in the return game against Peñarol.

Flamengo faces Peñarol (URU) in the first game of the CONMEBOL Libertadores quarter-finals and, here, you can watch the broadcast, live, with 2h30 of pre-game, interviews, the team's arrival at Maracanã and everything more.

Watch the match live here: