Flamengo vs. Fluminense: Maracanã region will have special traffic scheme this Sunday

Coach Filipe Luís explained the decision not to field Spanish midfielder Saúl Ñíguez as a starter in the 2-1 victory over Mirassol , this Saturday (09), at Maracanã, in the 19th round of the Brasileirão. Despite the player's versatility, the coach opted for the duo Allan and Evertton Araújo in midfield.

Filipe Luís discusses where he will use Saúl at Flamengo: "I see him in the position Gerson was in"

"Saúl is versatile, but today, given the composition of the squad, I see him in the same position as Gerson. I spoke to him before coming here. That's where he played at Atlético de Madrid and where he performed best . He gets into the box well, is decisive, and today, he could be an option as a defensive midfielder if needed. He doesn't have all the skills yet, and I tried to hold off on making that substitution," said Filipe Luís at a press conference.

DID FLAMENGO PAY FOR SAÚL?

The Spaniard, who previously played for Atlético de Madrid, terminated his contract with the club at the end of July . He thus joined Flamengo for no transfer fee, excluding signing bonuses and signing bonuses. He has played three matches for the Manto Sagrado so far.

GOALS IN THE MATCH AGAINST MIRASSOL

On Filipe Luís's birthday, Flamengo opened the scoring with Léo Pereira and extended the lead with Gonzalo Plata, following a masterful pass from Arrascaeta . Mirassol pulled one back with Gabriel, a former player for the club between 2013 and 2017, who scored using the "ex-law."

FLAMENGO'S SITUATION IN THE BRAZILIAN CHAMPIONSHIP

With the victory, Flamengo isolated itself at the top of the Brazilian Championship, reaching 40 points. Cruzeiro, second place, has 37, leaving Rubro-Negro with a three-point advantage , despite the miners still playing for 19th place this Sunday (10). Mengão, however, still has one game less, against Sport.

NEXT APPOINTMENT

Flamengo returns to the field on Wednesday (13), against Internacional, for the first leg of the round of 16 of the Libertadores . The match will be at Maracanã, at 9:30 pm (Brasília time), with broadcast on Rede Globo on open TV.

It wasn't easy, but Flamengo beat Mirassol this Saturday (9) at Maracanã by 2-1 and remains in first place in the Brasileirão. On Filipe Luís' 40th birthday, the team gave the gift of a victory and days of calm after being eliminated in the Copa do Brasil with goals from Léo Pereira and Gonzalo Plata. Gabriel, who played for Fla between 2013 and 2018, scored for Leão.

FIRST HALF

Flamengo didn't have its usual dominance of possession throughout the match, but still completely dominated the action in the first half. Mengão created great opportunities with shots from Samuel Lino and Gonzalo Plata and found the goal in the manner that has been common since the start of the season, with the presence of defenders in the box. After Lino's cross, Léo Pereira found the back of the net.

SECOND HALF

In the second half, Mirassol managed to level the scores, although Mengão continued to have great chances, albeit with a significant drop in pace . In the 23rd minute, Arrascaeta found a magical pass to Gonzalo Plata, who extended Flamengo 's lead. The former's rule, however, returned shortly after, with Gabriel pulling one back for the Lion.

After Mirassol's goal, both teams had opportunities to score, with goalkeepers Rossi and Walter shining in quick succession . Arrascaeta had a great opportunity in the six-yard box to score the third goal, but the ball went too high, securing the 2-1 result.

NEXT STEPS

With the result, Flamengo remains in first place in the Brasileirão and will not be overtaken in this current round. The Mais Querido now turns its attention to the knockout stages of the Libertadores . This Wednesday (13), Internacional goes to Maracanã in the first leg of the round of 16 of the continental competition. The match will be at 9:30 pm.

Striker Matheus Gonçalves is close to joining CSKA Moscow in Russia. The Russian club has long-standing interest, but talks have progressed in recent weeks , and Flamengo is already admitting the possibility of losing the 19-year-old.

The proposal involves a loan with an option to buy at the end of the contract. If he excels in Russian football, CSKA will have priority to acquire the player permanently . Matheus' departure, however, is not expected to happen before the U-20 World Cup final, when Flamengo faces Barcelona.

IMMINENT EXIT

Matheus Gonçalves was once close to a deal with Cruzeiro, but was reinstated to Filipe Luís's squad after strong performances with the U-20 team . Since then, he's played in the Brasileirão derby against Fluminense and was available for the Copa do Brasil clash with Atlético-MG. However, he hasn't left the bench in the last two matches.

TRANSFER SEEN AS AN OPPORTUNITY

Despite his desire to establish himself at Flamengo, Matheus Gonçalves recognizes the need for more regular play —something that's currently difficult to achieve at Rubro-Negro. Therefore, he authorized his staff to seek new opportunities, and CSKA Moscow emerged as an important opportunity, including for his first experience in Europe.

A product of Flamengo's youth academy, the striker played for Red Bull Bragantino in 2023, playing 13 matches . The São Paulo club attempted to sign him permanently, but the deal fell through. This season, Matheus has played 15 games and scored two goals for Flamengo.