With speculated departure, Gabigol, ex-Flamengo, asks for more minutes at Cruzeiro

Palmeiras took the lead in the Brazilian Championship title projections after beating São Paulo 3-2 this Sunday (5), in the 27th round of the competition. According to calculations by the Mathematics Department of the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Abel Ferreira's team now has a 58.1% chance of lifting the national trophy.

With the result, the green and white team took the lead in the statistics and increased its margin over Flamengo, who lost to Bahia 1-0 in Salvador. Despite having the same number of points (55), the Rubro-Negro has played one more game and saw its title probability drop to 29.3%.

Therefore, according to UFMG, the two teams will face each other on October 18th at Maracanã Stadium , a direct clash that could determine the outcome of the competition. The duel will be decisive for the team led by Filipe Luís.

OTHER CANDIDATES

Right behind, Cruzeiro has a 12.2% chance of winning the title. Botafogo , currently in fourth place and with 27 games played, has less than 0.1%. Fifth-place Bahia has a 0.2% chance, while sixth-place Mirassol has a 0.1% chance, both with a game in hand.

NEXT CHALLENGE

After the FIFA International Day, Flamengo returns to the field on October 15th (Wednesday) , at 7:30 pm, to face Botafogo in the 28th round of the Brasileirão, at the Nilton Santos stadium (Engenhão). The red-black squad should have a day off this Monday, after returning to Rio de Janeiro.

TV Globo commentator and Flamengo's historic idol, Maestro Júnior, criticized striker Wallace Yan's stance after his expulsion in the Rubro-Negro's 1-0 defeat to Bahia, last Sunday (5) , in the 27th round of the Brazilian Championship. The former player also made an appeal to the coaching staff to guide the young athlete.

During his post-match commentary, Júnior emphasized that Wallace Yan's behavior could jeopardize his future at the club . The player received his second yellow card late in the match and, upon leaving the field, kicked objects and complained about the refereeing.

"This isn't the first time this has happened. He's managed, in such a short time as a professional, to achieve a form that will be difficult for him . He's causing problems with players; there's no point in getting angry now. The coaching staff needs to sit down with him and show him the right path, because he's a great player, but not with this behavior," the former player stated.

WALLACE YAN RETURNS TO ACTING

The match against Bahia marked Wallace Yan 's return after nearly a month out. His last appearance had been on September 14th against Juventude, when he played for just over five minutes. Since then, he has been on the bench in five consecutive matches, not being called upon against Estudiantes (twice), Vasco, Corinthians, and Cruzeiro.

NEXT APPOINTMENT

With the loss, Flamengo dropped to second place in the Brazilian Championship, level on 55 points with Palmeiras, who lead the league in terms of wins. The team returns to action on October 15th at 7:30 pm (Brasília time) at Nilton Santos Stadium to face Botafogo in the Rio derby.

The most expensive signing in Flamengo's history, striker Samuel Lino was once again the target of criticism from the red-black fans . After the 1-0 defeat to Bahia, last Sunday (5), in the Brazilian Championship , the player's name was graffitied on one of the walls of the club's headquarters, in Gávea, south of Rio de Janeiro.

The graffiti, "$. Lino peladeiro," expresses the dissatisfaction of some fans with the striker's recent performances , which have been inconsistent since his arrival at the club. In addition to the player, the protest also targeted Flamengo president Luiz Eduardo Baptista, known as Bap, who was called "negligible."

FILIPE LUÍS COMES TO THE DEFENSE

Despite the pressure on the player, coach Filipe Luís once again defended the striker after the game. The coach praised Lino's effort, especially considering that Flamengo had been playing with ten men since the 15th minute of the first half, following the sending off of defender Danilo.

" It's difficult to judge a player in a game where we were down so early. He had to help a lot in the marking and still created chances. Sometimes, there's a fine line between scoring and not scoring. Unfortunately, he didn't score, and then we ended up conceding," said Filipe Luís.

SECOND POSITION AND CLASSIC

With the result, Flamengo dropped to second place in the Brasileirão with 55 points, the same number as Palmeiras, who lead with one more win. The team will now return to action on October 15th against Botafogo at Nilton Santos Stadium at 7:30 pm. The squad was given Monday off after returning to Rio.