Serie A club insists on having Matheus Gonçalves, from Flamengo

Flamengo returns to the field this Wednesday (13) to face Internacional in the first leg of the round of 16 of the Copa Libertadores. The ball rolls at 9:30 pm (Brasília time), at Maracanã, with broadcast on Globo on open TV . The match will also be shown on ESPN, on subscription TV, and on Disney+, via streaming.

PROBABLE LINEUP

Coach Filipe Luís is expected to field Luiz Araújo in place of Arrascaeta , who is suspended due to a backlog of yellow cards. Thus, the likely lineup for the red-and-blacks is: Rossi; Varela (Emerson Royal), Léo Ortiz, Léo Pereira, Alex Sandro; Jorginho, Allan; Luiz Araújo, Plata, Samuel Lino, and Pedro.

The main news is Jorginho's return to the starting lineup after serving a suspension in the Brasileirão victory over Mirassol. The number 10 will be a significant absence, sitting out the decisive stage of the continental tournament. Expectations are high for a possible debut for Jorge Carrascal, who didn't leave the bench against Leão.

FLAMENGO SITUATION

Flamengo and Internacional enter the field looking to open up an advantage for the return match, which will take place next Wednesday (20), at Beira-Rio. Rubro-Negro arrives buoyed by the leadership of the Brasileirão, even with a game less , after defeating Mirassol 2-1 last weekend - a result that helped to recover the spirit of the squad after the early elimination in the Copa do Brasil against Atlético-MG.

AND INTER?

Internacional also won in the last Brasileirão match before facing Mengão , when they beat Red Bull Bragantino 3-1 away from home, and interrupted a sequence of four consecutive games without a win, where they were even eliminated from the Copa do Brasil by Fluminense.

Brazilian champion with Flamengo in 2020, Guilherme Bala is enjoying a special phase in his career . Currently with Shabab Al-Ahli in the United Arab Emirates, the striker was a standout in the 2024/2025 season , winning four titles and being a key player in the team's success.

The performance earned the player, who was born at Ninho do Urubu, the award for best under-23 athlete from the local federation . An emotional Bala celebrated the achievement, highlighted the collective effort, and celebrated the most memorable moment in his career.

Guilherme Bala, ex-Flamengo: "It was the best season of my career"

"I'm very happy to win this award. It was a very special season, things went perfectly, and it was definitely the best season of my career. This is the culmination of hard work, dedication, and commitment . I also want to dedicate this award to my teammates, coaching staff, and the entire club staff. If I managed to win, everyone has a hand in it."

NUMBERS AND TITLES IN THE SEASON

Under former Flamengo coach Paulo Sousa, Guilherme Bala recorded his best stats: 35 appearances, eight goals, and 12 assists , totaling 20 direct goal involvements. He also helped Shabab win the UAE Pro League, the Emirates Super Cup, the Challenge Shield, and the UAE President's Cup.

Since joining the club in 2021/2022, Bala has played 95 matches, scoring 18 goals and providing 26 assists. In addition to the Golden Boy award, he was also named to the All-Star Team of the Season . The striker also outlined his goals for 2025/2026:

"After a season with so many titles, it's always difficult to maintain the level of achievements. We know that all our opponents will be even more motivated to play against us. But our team is very strong, and we have important trophies to defend, not to mention the Asian Champions League . We'll work hard and stay focused to have another great season, full of titles."

PASSAGE THROUGH FLAMENGO

Guilherme Bala played for Flamengo between 2019 and 2020. Last year, he played in three matches for the first team . Two games marked his time: the 4-0 victory over Independiente Del Valle (EQU) in the Libertadores, and the 1-1 draw against Palmeiras at Allianz Parque, where he played 71 minutes.

Despite leading the Brazilian Championship, Flamengo received criticism from Galvão Bueno. The commentator expressed concern about the team's offensive output , highlighting its reliance on goals scored by defenders like Léo Pereira and Léo Ortiz. He believed that a team with such a capable attack should be more lethal and not rely on aerial plays as its main weapon. During the Band program "Galvão e Amigos," the host praised Filipe Luís's work but questioned the lack of effectiveness of the attacking players.

Galvão Bueno criticizes Flamengo's attack: "Only the defenders score the goals"

"Everyone knows Flamengo has a great team, and the coach's work is excellent. Flamengo doesn't have a bench, it has a comfortable reserve squad , but only the defenders score the goals. How can this be? What's wrong with Flamengo dominating the game and not being able to score? Is the work done for the defenders to score goals from crosses into the box?"

Galvão emphasized that, at the beginning of the Brasileirão, the attack was functioning well, but in recent matches the team has struggled to break down tight defenses , becoming reliant on set pieces to secure victories. According to him, this change in pattern indicates that adjustments are necessary to maintain a high level of competition.

"Flamengo started with a very powerful attack. But, in recent games, the teams have been closing down, and Flamengo has lost its way in the attack. Then, they started scoring goals from set pieces with their defenders. I expected even more from Flamengo . They're a very well-managed team, with an exceptional squad, and they have everything they need to come out swinging."

ARRASCAETA AS PROTAGONIST

Second top scorer in the Brasileirão, Arrascaeta took over as Flamengo 's top scorer in 2025. Despite the Uruguayan's excellent performance , Galvão believes that the other forwards and midfielders need to contribute more.

"Maybe something is missing to break down the opposing defense because every team plays defensively against Flamengo. With the squad they have and Filipe Luís's ability to work, I would imagine Flamengo would be scoring more goals . They've been missing a lot of goals. The forwards and midfielders who arrive have opportunities, but they aren't scoring. They're missing goals that aren't scored by defenders."