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Despite leading the Brazilian Championship, Flamengo received criticism from Galvão Bueno. The commentator expressed concern about the team's offensive output , highlighting its reliance on goals scored by defenders like Léo Pereira and Léo Ortiz. He believed that a team with such a capable attack should be more lethal and not rely on aerial plays as its main weapon. During the Band program "Galvão e Amigos," the host praised Filipe Luís's work but questioned the lack of effectiveness of the attacking players.

Galvão Bueno criticizes Flamengo's attack: "Only the defenders score the goals"

"Everyone knows Flamengo has a great team, and the coach's work is excellent. Flamengo doesn't have a bench, it has a comfortable reserve squad , but only the defenders score the goals. How can this be? What's wrong with Flamengo dominating the game and not being able to score? Is the work done for the defenders to score goals from crosses into the box?"

Galvão emphasized that, at the beginning of the Brasileirão, the attack was functioning well, but in recent matches the team has struggled to break down tight defenses , becoming reliant on set pieces to secure victories. According to him, this change in pattern indicates that adjustments are necessary to maintain a high level of competition.

"Flamengo started with a very powerful attack. But, in recent games, the teams have been closing down, and Flamengo has lost its way in the attack. Then, they started scoring goals from set pieces with their defenders. I expected even more from Flamengo . They're a very well-managed team, with an exceptional squad, and they have everything they need to come out swinging."

ARRASCAETA AS PROTAGONIST

Second top scorer in the Brasileirão, Arrascaeta took over as Flamengo 's top scorer in 2025. Despite the Uruguayan's excellent performance , Galvão believes that the other forwards and midfielders need to contribute more.

"Maybe something is missing to break down the opposing defense because every team plays defensively against Flamengo. With the squad they have and Filipe Luís's ability to work, I would imagine Flamengo would be scoring more goals . They've been missing a lot of goals. The forwards and midfielders who arrive have opportunities, but they aren't scoring. They're missing goals that aren't scored by defenders."

Flamengo returns to the field this Wednesday (13) to face Internacional, in the first leg of the round of 16 of the Copa Libertadores. The match will be at Maracanã, and coach Filipe Luís should field Luiz Araújo in place of Arrascaeta , who is suspended.

PROBABLE LINEUP

With the absence of the number 10, the tendency is for Filipe Luís to send a Flamengo team onto the field with: Rossi; Varela (Emerson Royal), Léo Ortiz, Léo Pereira, Alex Sandro; Jorginho, Allan; Luiz Araújo, Plata, Samuel Lino and Pedro.

The main news will be the return of Jorginho , who returns to the team after serving a suspension in the Brasileirão victory over Mirassol . Arrascaeta, on the other hand, will be out due to a backlog of yellow cards in the continental competition.

CONFIRMED SHORTAGES

In addition to the Uruguayan midfielder, Flamengo will be without Erick Pulgar (right foot surgery), De La Cruz (left knee injury), and Danilo (right thigh injury). Expectations also lie with the squad list. With an excess of players on the roster, coach Filipe Luís has been cutting key players from matches.

MATCH DETAILS

The duel between Flamengo and Internacional starts at 9:30 pm (Brasília time), with live broadcast on Rede Globo, on open TV, and on Disney+, via streaming . The return match is scheduled for next Wednesday (20), at Beira-Rio Stadium, in Porto Alegre.

Flamengo remains attentive to the transfer market and is seeking reinforcements to complete its squad before the end of the transfer window. One name that could emerge as an opportunity is Aleksandar Mitrovic , the Serbian national team's top scorer, who is expected to terminate his contract with Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia) and be free to sign with another club.

The Saudi club plans to release Mitrovic due to the excess of foreign players in its squad for next season . The decision comes after the signing of Uruguayan Darwin Núñez , formerly of Liverpool. To terminate the contract, Al Hilal will need to pay the termination fee stipulated in the contract.

WHO IS MITROVIC?

Mitrovic emerged as a young player at Anderlecht in Belgium, attracting the attention of major English clubs. In 2015, he was signed by Newcastle and later transferred to Fulham , where he established himself as an attacking force. In 2023, the striker signed with Al Hilal.

FLAMENGO SITUATION

Flamengo 's current squad features two center forwards: Pedro and Juninho. Pedro has been a starter for Filipe Luís's team, while Juninho hasn't won over the fans and could be traded if he receives an offer.

In this transfer window, the club has already invested around R$280 million in signings , bringing in Saúl Ñíguez and Samuel Lino (formerly of Atlético Madrid), Emerson Royal (formerly of AC Milan), and Jorge Carrascal (formerly of Dynamo Moscow). Despite not having to spend on player rights, Mitrovic's signing is seen as expensive due to the high salary he is expected to command.