Former Flamengo player Vini Jr is the only Brazilian in the top 10 most valuable players

Flamengo started the round of 16 of the Libertadores with a victory . Last Wednesday (13), at Maracanã, Rubro-Negro beat Internacional 1-0, with a goal from Bruno Henrique, and started with an advantage in the continental knockout stage. With no time to rest, the squad will return this Thursday (14), at 3:30 pm (Brasília time) , at Ninho do Urubu, to begin preparations for a new meeting with the team from Rio Grande do Sul, now for the Brasileirão.

HOW WAS THE VICTORY IN THE LIBERTADORES?

Internacional's defense held out until the 27th minute of the first half. From a corner kick by Luiz Araújo, Bruno Henrique rose above his defender and headed the ball firmly into Rochet's net, securing the 1-0 lead and the lead for the second leg.

NEXT CHALLENGE

Flamengo and Internacional face each other again on Sunday (17), at 6:30 pm, at Beira-Rio Stadium, for the 20th round of the Brazilian Championship. Mengão is the leader of the Brasileirão with 40 points , three ahead of the vice-leader Cruzeiro, but with one game less than the Minas Gerais club.

DECISION IN THE LIBERTADORES

The second leg of the round of 16 will be on Wednesday (20), also at Beira-Rio, at 9:30 pm . With the result of the first game, Flamengo advances to the quarterfinals in case of a draw. The duel will be broadcast by Rede Globo (open TV), ESPN (closed TV) and Disney+ (streaming).

LOGISTICS

With two consecutive matches against Internacional away from home, for the Brasileirão and the Copa Libertadores, the red-black delegation leaves for Porto Alegre on Saturday afternoon (16) and will remain in the city between the two matches, without returning to Rio de Janeiro.

Flamengo beat Internacional 1-0 last Wednesday (13), in the first leg of the round of 16 of the Libertadores. After the match, Guillermo Varela revealed, in the mixed zone of Maracanã, when he should sign the contract renewal with the club .

When approached by reporters, the right-back was blunt: " This week, this week ," he quickly replied before leaving the venue. The agreement between Flamengo and Varela has been in place for months, but the club is awaiting the player's agent's trip to Rio de Janeiro to sign the new contract.

RENEWAL STATUS

Negotiations for Varela's stay have been underway at Flamengo since the beginning of the year. In March, shortly after renewing with Erick Pulgar, the club identified the Uruguayan as its next target, but negotiations did not progress immediately.

Now, according to the player himself, the signing is expected to take place this week. Currently, the number 2's contract runs until December, with about four months remaining on his contract . Although he can sign a pre-contract with any team, the full-back's intention has always been to renew with Flamengo .

PROBABLE STARTER IN THE NEXT GAME

With Emerson Royal injured due to a left ankle sprain, Varela is expected to be the immediate replacement at right back and start in the next match. Expectations are high for the length of the number 22's absence, which could force the Uruguayan into a long run as a starter.

WHEN IS THE NEXT GAME

Flamengo and Internacional will face each other again this Sunday (17), at 6:30 pm (Brasília time), at Beira-Rio Stadium, for the 20th round of the Brasileirão. Mengão is the leader of the Brasileirão with 40 points . The Mais Querido will face each other again for the third time in a row next Wednesday (20), for the second leg of the Libertadores.

After Flamengo's 1-0 victory over Internacional in the Copa Libertadores, Emerson Royal gave an interview to explain the moment he was booed by the fans at Maracanã . The right-back, substituted in the second half due to a sprained left ankle, explained his drop in performance by saying he tried to stay on the field to help the team, despite the pain, and apologized to the fans who felt this ended up hurting the team.

Emerson Royal on boos at Flamengo vs Internacional: "I'm not a robot"

"The fans have the right to do so. If I can't perform at 100%, they have the right to demand it. At the beginning of the game, I sprained my ankle, which affected my performance. I couldn't run, jump, or change direction, and that made things a bit more difficult," he explained.

TRUST INTACT

The player emphasized that the situation didn't shake his confidence, but that he understands the reaction from the stands: " I understand their side, and I hope they understand mine too, because I'm not a robot . I tried my best to help Flamengo . If, in any way, this wasn't accepted or ended up hurting things, I apologize. My goal has always been to contribute to the team," he added.

Despite suffering an ankle injury early on, Emerson was active in the opening minutes and was a key offensive weapon until the 10th minute. After a second ankle injury, his performance declined. He finished the match with one interception, one tackle, and three defensive duels won . With possession, he completed 30 of 33 passes and was unsuccessful on both crossing attempts. The determining factor for his drop in pace, according to the athlete, was his physical limitations.

'IT'S AWAY FROM MY PRINCIPLES,' SAYS EMERSON ABOUT ASKING FOR A REPLACEMENT

The full-back emphasized that he doesn't usually ask to leave the field right at the start of a match, as he prefers to "fight until the end." Emerson said that, at halftime, he even asked for a substitution to try to return for the second half , but the possibility of a worsening performance led Filipe Luís to opt for Guillermo Varela to come on.

"Two minutes into the game and raising my hand to request a substitution isn't my style. It's against my principles, and I'll try until the end. I asked the doctor at halftime for something—an injection, anything—because I wanted to help Flamengo in the second half . But we decided it wasn't the best option, as my performance could suffer even further. At first, I was fine, but the pain worsened and began to limit my ability to change direction, sprint, and even jump," he concluded.