River Plate x Colo-Colo opens the Libertadores week; Flamengo plays on Thursday

Thiago Ribeiro, Gabigol's former teammate from Santos, spoke about the striker's current situation at Flamengo and his apparently difficult relationship with Tite. The former player expressed confidence that Gabi will turn things around and took the opportunity to send a hint to the red and black coach.

For Thiago Ribeiro, what Gabigol needs is trust, something that must be given by Tite. Only with this support, shirt 99 will be able to show his best football again.

“I believe that one of the most important things in football is confidence, the player has to have confidence, and the game sequence … So I believe that for him to resume his football, it requires confidence, and that goes through the coach. I'm not there on a daily basis, anyone who is there on a daily basis knows, but the board, the coach, has to give confidence to the player”, said the attacker.

Thiago Ribeiro says that Tite needs to "embrace" Gabigol

With Pedro's injury, Gabigol became the third option in the squad, but it seems he doesn't have Tite's confidence to be the player who will solve the problems from Flamengo. This scenario, according to speculation, created a certain tension between the attacker and the coach, especially after Gabi was not included in the game against Peñarol.

Thiago Ribeiro believes that the best thing to do in a situation like this , especially at a time when Flamengo needs Gabigol most, it's up to Tite to "embrace" the player, demonstrate his confidence and guarantee the striker's place in the team.

“No one unlearns how to play football. And when the player is at that stage of delivering nowhere near what he usually delivers, at that stage the coach must arrive and say: I'm putting you to play, I believe in you, I'm counting on you”, added Thiago.

Despite the complicated moment, the expectation is that Gabigol will participate in the return match against Peñarol, not just as an option on the bench, but starting as a starter.

The most important game of the season for Flamengo is approaching. Next Thursday (26), Rubro-Negro will face Peñarol (URU) in the second leg of the Libertadores quarter-finals. As a result, this Tuesday (24), the squad intensifies its preparation for the confrontation against the Uruguayan team.

According to the portal 'Coluna do Fla', Flamengo players will perform from 9:30 am (Brasília time) this Tuesday (24). The activities at Ninho do Urubu will begin at 10 am, involving all the athletes in the squad.

Training

Once again, coach Tite will lead the work with the whole group. This includes both players who were rested and those who played in the match against Grêmio, last Sunday (22), in the Brazilian Championship.

Travel

The red and black delegation will embark for Uruguay this Tuesday (24). The flight is scheduled for 5:50 pm (Brasília time). In Montevideo, Tite will finalize his preparation and define the team's lineup on Wednesday (25), at CT Luis Suárez.

What now?

Facing a delicate moment in the season, Flamengo focuses entirely on the decisive match against Peñarol, in the quarter-finals of the Libertadores. After the 1-0 defeat at Maracanã, Rubro-Negro needs to reverse the score in the return game.

To advance directly to the semi-finals, Flamengo will have to beat Peñarol by at least two goals difference . The duel will take place on Thursday (26), at 7pm (Brasília time), at the Campeón del Siglo Stadium, in Montevideo.

River Plate (ARG) and Colo-Colo (CHI) kicked off the Libertadores quarter-finals this past Tuesday (17). The Argentine team went to Santiago and drew 1-1 with the Chileans. Flamengo, who is on the other side of the group, only enters the field on Thursday (19), against Peñarol.

Acting with Thanks to the support of their fans, Colo-Colo took the initiative in the confrontation and ended the duel with more possession of the ball. However, River Plate was more efficient and took the lead with Pezzella. However, the Chileans managed to draw a draw with Carlos Palacios, after assistance from former Flamengo player Vidal.

KEYING

Thus, the confrontation remains open for the return game, which will be on September 24th, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. If the tie persists, the place will be determined by penalties. The winner will face Fluminense or Atlético-MG.

On Flamengo's side, Mais Querido will face Peñarol this Thursday (19), at Maracanã. If they manage to advance to the semi-finals, Rubro-Negro can face the winner of Botafogo x São Paulo, which will meet this Wednesday (18), at Nilton Santos.

FOCUS ON THE NEXT CONFRONTATION

< Thus, the Mais Querido squad continues preparing for the clash against Peñarol, in the Libertadores. The first game will be at Maracanã, on Thursday (19). The ball rolls at 7pm, with live broadcast throughout Brazil on ESPN, on a closed channel, and Disney+, via streaming. The decision will be valid for the Libertadores quarter-finals.