Flamengo falls behind in the second half and Filipe Luís is honest: “lots of mistakes…”

Flamengo left Maracanã, this Wednesday (13), with a 1-0 victory over Internacional , in the first leg of the round of 16 of the Copa Libertadores. Despite the triumph, the slim score at home raised questions about the absence of Arrascaeta , suspended due to the accumulation of cards. In the post-match press conference, coach Filipe Luís spoke about the importance of the number 10 and explained the choice of the duo Bruno Henrique and Gonzalo Plata.

Filipe Luís on Arrascaeta, Flamengo's number 10: "Best player in Brazil"

"I always think about the game plan and what challenges the opponent will pose. Bruno and Plata, who played today, also played together in the Super Cup final and played an extraordinary match. They have a very good social and emotional relationship, and neither is irreplaceable. But we were talking, along with Kaio Jorge, about the best player in Brazil, Arrascaeta. We have to get the most out of him and keep him fresh to perform at the level he's been performing ," said Filipe.

FELT ABSENCE

Suspended after receiving yellow cards against Deportivo Táchira, Central Córdoba, and LDU Quito, Arrascaeta was ruled out of the match. This season, the Uruguayan has 14 goals and nine assists , playing a key role in the attack.

THE GOAL OF THE NIGHT

Flamengo controlled the first half and opened the scoring with Bruno Henrique, who headed in a corner kick from Luiz Araújo . However, in the second half, the team's performance dropped and they held on to only a minimal lead.

SCENARIO FOR CLASSIFICATION

The decisive clash will be next Wednesday (20), at 9:30 pm (Brasília time), at Beira-Rio . Flamengo advances with a draw, while Internacional needs to win by two goals to qualify in normal time. If the team from Rio Grande do Sul wins by just one goal, the spot will be decided on penalties.

Before that, the teams will face each other again this Sunday (17), at 6:30 pm, for the 20th round of the Brazilian Championship , again in Porto Alegre. Mengão is the leader of the competition with 40 points, three more than Cruzeiro, second place, in addition to having one game less than the Minas Gerais club.

Right-back Emerson Royal left the field early in the duel between Flamengo and Internacional , this Wednesday (13), valid for the first leg of the round of 16 of the Copa Libertadores. According to the club's official statement, the number 22 suffered a sprain in his left ankle at the beginning of the first half and was replaced at half-time by Guillermo Varela.

Emerson Royal says he asked to return for Flamengo vs Internacional: "my performance would have dropped even further"

The injury occurred 25 minutes into the first half, after a challenge with an Internacional player, with the score still tied. Royal fell to the pitch in pain, received medical attention, but remained on the field until the final whistle of the first half . After the game, the full-back revealed that he even asked for an injection to stay on, but it was not granted.

" I asked him, please, do something, because I want to try to help Flamengo in the second half, but we decided not to return because as the game progressed, my performance would decline even further. At the beginning of the game, I was fine, but then, as time went on, the pain began to increase and began to limit me a lot, especially when changing direction, sprinting, and jumping, it also hurt a lot," said Royal.

THE GOAL OF THE MATCH

Flamengo's pressure paid off in the 27th minute. Luiz Araújo took a precise corner kick and found Bruno Henrique unmarked in the box . The striker headed the ball firmly, leaving Rochet no chance, opening the scoring at the Maracanã and giving Flamengo the lead in the Libertadores.

NEXT APPOINTMENT

Before the return leg of the Libertadores, Flamengo and Internacional will face each other again, but this time for the Brazilian Championship . The match will be this Sunday (17), at 6:30 pm (Brasília time), at Beira-Rio. Mengão is the leader of the Brasileirão with 40 points, three more than Cruzeiro, in second place, and with one game less than the team from Minas Gerais.

Flamengo beat Internacional 1-0 this Wednesday (13) , at Maracanã, and started with an advantage in the round of 16 of the Copa Libertadores. Despite the positive result, striker Bruno Henrique assessed that the team lost performance in the second half and explained the reasons for the drop in intensity.

" In the second half, for the first 15 minutes , we want to score right away, and it ends up deviating a bit from what we planned at halftime. We end up being a bit exposed, and the opposing team scores a lot in the first half. In the second half, they have to open up to try to score," said the number 27.

"That's what happened against Internacional. They scored the whole time in the first half. We had more possession, more shots, and more through balls. We took possession in the first half, and in the second half, because we wanted to score quickly , we ended up opening up a bit. It's an area we have to improve on. Jorginho just told me that, so we have to try to improve even more in the first 15 minutes of the second half," he added.

STATISTICS SHOW DOMINANCE

The numbers back up the striker's assessment. In the first half, Flamengo largely controlled possession, registering 73% of the ball and eight shots on goal. In the second half, possession dropped to 59%, and the Rio de Janeiro team managed just two shots, compared to the Rio Grande do Sul club's four attempts.

Game sequence

With the victory, the red-black team needs only a draw in the second leg to guarantee a place in the quarterfinals of the Libertadores. The decisive match will be next Wednesday (20), at the Beira-Rio Stadium, in Porto Alegre . Before that, the teams will face each other again next Sunday (17), for the Brazilian Championship, again in the capital of Rio Grande do Sul, at 6:30 pm (Brasília time).