IT'S GOING TO BE PACKED! FLAMENGO'S DEFEAT IN LIBERTADORES AWAKENS FANS WHO ALREADY SOLD OUT A SECTOR FOR THE CLASSIC WITH BOTAFOGO

Flamengo should present important changes in the starting lineup for the match against Bahia this Sunday (5) , valid for the 27th round of the Brazilian Championship . After the goalless draw against Cruzeiro, at Maracanã, coach Filipe Luís should promote changes in the lineup.

According to information from the ge portal, the tendency is for Rubro-Negro to enter the field with Rossi; Varela, Danilo, Léo Ortiz and Ayrton Lucas; Saúl (or De La Cruz), Jorginho and Arrascaeta; Plata (or Carrascal), Samuel Lino (or Everton Cebolinha) and Pedro.

Regarding the match against Cruzeiro, Danilo, Ayrton Lucas, and Pedro are expected to be new starters . This means Léo Pereira and Alex Sandro, both suspended, and Carrascal will be out of the squad.

TRAINING AT THE CT

The red-black squad returned on Friday afternoon (3), at Ninho do Urubu, starting work for the match. The last training session with the entire group is scheduled for Saturday morning (4) , before the delegation embarks for Salvador.

MATCH BROADCAST

As usual, the official lineup will only be confirmed moments before kickoff, during the pre-match training session . The match will be played at Arena Fonte Nova at 6:30 PM (Brasília time), with exclusive coverage on Premiere.

One of Corinthians ' greatest idols, goalkeeper Cássio has a special chapter in Flamengo's recent history, even though he never wore the red-and-black jersey. In 2020, his performance in Corinthians' draw against Internacional was crucial in the Rio de Janeiro club's Brasileirão title victory.

In the final round of that championship, Flamengo and Internacional were neck and neck for the trophy. Flamengo lost to São Paulo at Morumbi Stadium and, to retain the trophy , depended on a slip-up from their Rio Grande do Sul rival. At Beira-Rio Stadium, Corinthians held on for a draw thanks to Cássio's saves, preventing the Colorado victory and confirming the title for Mengão.

The episode has remained etched in the memories of Flamengo fans. In a recent interaction, a Flamengo influencer reminded the goalkeeper of the feat. " You know you're a national idol, right?" he asked. In a relaxed tone, Cássio replied: "Yes, we won that title, didn't we? Two thousand and…?" The fan added: "2020 !"

GOALKEEPER STANDS OUT AGAIN

Last Thursday (2), in a duel valid for the Brazilian Championship, Cássio was once again highlighted against Flamengo, now defending Cruzeiro . The goalkeeper made important saves at Maracanã , guaranteeing a goalless draw and frustrating the red-black team's search for three more points.

FLAMENGO X BAHIA

With no time to lament the result, Flamengo is already concentrating its efforts on the next match of the competition. This Sunday (5), the team led by Filipe Luís faces Bahia, at 6:30 pm (Brasília time), at Arena Fonte Nova, in Salvador. The match will be valid for the 27th round and will be broadcast exclusively on the Premiere channel.

Filipe Luís's decision to leave Pedro on the bench against Cruzeiro generated repercussions after the goalless draw at Maracanã, last Thursday (2). Former goalkeeper Fernando Prass, currently a commentator, questioned the Flamengo coach's decision and highlighted the need for greater adaptation to the game circumstances.

In the Brazilian Championship match, the Red-Blacks opted for Gonzalo Plata as their attacking reference . Despite giving the team more mobility, the absence of a center forward was felt by the fans, who saw the team lose its finishing ability. Pedro ended up coming on only in the final minutes, which generated criticism and questions about the coach's strategy.

FERNANDO PRASS DEFENDS ADAPTATION

For Prass, the initial choice made sense given Cruzeiro's attacking approach , which was pushing the defense. However, he emphasized that the coach needs to be more flexible as the match unfolds.

"And Filipe Luís 's point was: he read Cruzeiro's high line, which could attack with Plata, which makes sense. But I think the game starts to show you things, and you can't have a fixed, rigid idea. Pedro didn't play against Corinthians; I thought it was a fitness issue, and he came on in the 35th minute [of the second half] against Cruzeiro," analyzed the former goalkeeper.

Posture irritates former goalkeeper

According to Prass, the red-black coach will have to adopt a more "flexible" approach to leading the team, mainly because Pedro's substitutes have not been showing outstanding numbers in goals.

" I think that, at certain times, Filipe will have to start being a little more flexible. Because if the others were solving the problem, scoring 20 goals like Pedro does, that's not what we're seeing," he added.