Léo Pereira gives his Flamengo shirt to a child who is a Bahia fan

Flamengo begins its journey towards the semifinals of the Copa Libertadores this Thursday (18) . The first leg against Estudiantes (ARG) will be held at Maracanã, at 9:30 pm (Brasília time), and will have a full house.

All tickets were sold in advance, guaranteeing an estimated attendance of around 69,000. The expectation is that the Red-Black Nation will fill every section of the stadium , transforming the Maracanã into a cauldron to push the team toward victory.

IMPORTANT RETURNS

The team will have important reinforcements. Striker Bruno Henrique and full-back Varela , who were absent last Sunday (14) against Juventude, in the Brazilian Championship , trained normally this Tuesday (16) and should be available to the coach again.

MAJOR SHORTAGES

Despite their returns, Rubro-Negro will remain without midfielder Jorginho, full-back Alex Sandro, and defensive midfielder Pulgar , who are still recovering. The likely lineup for the game includes: Rossi; Royal (Varela), Léo Ortiz, Léo Pereira, Ayrton Lucas (Viña); Saúl, De La Cruz (Allan), Arrascaeta; Plata, Samuel Lino, and Pedro.

LIVE BROADCAST

Fans will be able to watch the match live on ESPN (pay TV) and Disney+ (streaming). The second leg will be held next week in La Plata, Argentina, and will determine who advances to the semifinals.

Despite being signed only in the last transfer window, Saúl Ñíguez has already become one of the most important players in Flamengo's squad . The Spanish midfielder arrived at the club on a free transfer and quickly established himself in the starting lineup.

Spanish newspaper Marca highlighted the athlete's rapid adaptation. " The former Atlético de Madrid player arrived at Flamengo with the mission of becoming an important player and maintaining a prominent role in the starting lineup . His adaptation didn't take long," the publication reported.

PRAISE FROM THE SPANISH PRESS

According to the publication, Saúl is experiencing "a second youth" in Brazilian football and has already established himself as a key midfielder. Despite only registering one assist in eight games , he has played a more defensive role in Filipe Luís's team.

In the victory over Juventude, in the Brazilian Championship , Saúl started alongside Allan in midfield and provided the assist for Arrascaeta's goal in the 31st minute of the first half.

FLAMENGO COUNTS ON SAÚL ÑÍGUEZ

Flamengo returns to the field this Thursday (18), at 9:30 pm (Brasília time) , at Maracanã, to face Estudiantes, for the first leg of the quarterfinals of the Copa Libertadores. Saúl Ñíguez should once again be among the starters for the red-black team.

Sesc Flamengo already has a full squad ready to begin its preparations for the season's main competitions. Last Monday (15), the club welcomed names eagerly awaited by the fans: winger Helena , opposite Tainara, middle blocker Lorena and libero Laís, bronze medalists at the World Championships in Thailand, as well as Serbian middle blocker Maša Kirov, who also played in the Asian tournament and is one of the group's new additions.

While coach Bernardinho leads the Brazilian men's national team at the World Cup in the Philippines, the Rio de Janeiro team is under the command of assistant Helio Griner. He is leading the training sessions in preparation for the new squad's first challenges . This Friday (19), at 5 pm, the team faces Batavo Mackenzie in a closed-door training match at the Army Physical Education School (EsEFEx), in Urca.

COMPETITION SCHEDULE

Next week, Sesc Flamengo officially debuts its season with the Taça Brasil, which will take place from September 23rd to 25th in Londrina, Paraná. The tournament will also feature the home team, Sancor Maringá, and Gerdau Minas, at the Moringão gymnasium.

The Campeonato Carioca begins on October 1st, while the Superliga begins on the 20th . Assistant Helio Griner highlighted the importance of the athletes' adaptation period: "We've been training for a few months, but this year we had many players called up to national teams, in different categories. Four of the adults and Maša arrived from the World Cup and will gradually adapt," he said before adding.

"It's an exciting time. The team has been revamped, and I believe we're capable of competing for major titles. Now, we have to respect each other's limits to finish this week strong and have a good tournament next week," he said.