Vagner Love could face Flamengo in the Copa do Brasil - Understand

Flamengo beat Mirassol 2-1 this Saturday (9), in a game valid for the Brazilian Championship, and now turns its attention to the Libertadores. Next Wednesday (13), the team faces Internacional at Maracanã, in the first match of the round of 16.

Right-back Emerson Royal, a starter in the Brasileirão victory and making his debut in the continental competition , previewed the match. "It's a very difficult competition, we know how important it is," said the Mengão player.

"It's Internacional, who also have a lot of quality, we know their quality. We have two games in a row against them, and it was more or less the same against Atlético-MG. We're going to win with me. I always like to emphasize, we're Flamengo. We're going to look for victories in both games," said the player in the mixed zone of the Maracanã.

SEQUENCE OF GAMES AGAINST INTERNACIONAL

Flamengo 's schedule includes three consecutive matches against Internacional. After the first leg of the Libertadores, the teams meet again this weekend in the Brazilian Championship. The second leg of the round of 16 concludes the sequence, with the final two games taking place in Porto Alegre.

FILIPE LUÍS' TEAM ADJUSTS FOCUS ON LIBERTA

Before resuming the Brazilian Championship, Flamengo focuses all its attention on the Libertadores. The duel against Internacional, scheduled for Wednesday (13), at 9:30 pm (Brasília time), at Maracanã, opens the series of clashes that could define the club's future in the tournament.

Flamengo has already signed full-back Emerson Royal, midfielders Saúl and Jorge Carrascal, forward Samuel Lino, and defensive midfielder Jorginho this summer. Even with these reinforcements, the board is still searching for more attacking options in the market.

After Lucas Beltrán and Mehdi Taremi 's refusals, a new target shows commitment to defend the Rio de Janeiro club: Taty Castellanos. According to information released this Sunday (10) by journalist Fabrício Lopes , from the O Dia portal and the Resenha Rubro-Negra channel, the Argentine striker remains determined to leave Lazio.

ARGENTINE WILL HAVE A NEW MEETING

Castellanos is in direct contact with the Italian board and will meet again with Claudio Lotito, president of Lazio. The goal is to reinforce his desire for a transfer and seek immediate release.

The player's interest coincides with the strategy of football director José Boto , who has been working to facilitate the negotiation for weeks. The expectation is that the situation will be resolved in the coming days , with the possibility of his arrival at the Brazilian club as early as next week.

CASTELLAN NUMBERS

The striker, who joined Lazio in July 2023, has made 86 appearances for the Italian club, scoring 20 goals and providing 13 assists, according to data from the Transfermarkt portal. This record confirms his potential to strengthen Flamengo 's attacking system and raises fans' expectations for a positive outcome in the negotiations.

Flamengo beat Mirassol 2-1 this Saturday (9), at Maracanã, in the 19th round of the Brazilian Championship. The result paved the way for the symbolic title of the first round. Historically, the leadership in this stage usually indicates the future champion , since most of the teams that finish the first half of the tournament at the top end up lifting the trophy at the end of the season.

With 40 points, Mais Querido is very close to securing provisional leadership. To confirm the symbolic title in this round, it needs to count on its direct competitors stumbling this Sunday (10).

Cruzeiro, which faces Santos, would need to overcome a six-goal difference to take the lead. Palmeiras, which has two games in hand, cannot beat Ceará. With a draw, they could reach the same 40 points, but would need to reduce their goal difference by 18 to overtake the red-and-black team.

MENGÃO STILL HAS A GAME TO GO

Besides the possibility of confirming the lead this weekend, the team also has the chance to increase its points tally this season. The postponed match against Sport, part of the 12th round, was postponed due to the team's participation in the Club World Cup.

FLAMENGO CHANGES FOCUS

Before resuming the sequence in the Brasileirão, Flamengo focuses on the Libertadores dispute. Next Wednesday (13), the team led by Filipe Luís faces Internacional at Maracanã, at 9:30 pm (Brasília time), in the first game of the round of 16 of the continental competition.