Flamengo's side Varela confides "I didn't want to go down because I wouldn't get hurt...", after the controversy with Penarol fans

Wednesday (13) was a triumph for Flamengo in the Libertadores . In the first leg of the round of 16, Bruno Henrique shone and scored the winning goal in a 1-0 victory over Internacional, at Maracanã. The performance earned the number 27 the title of 'Fans' Star' , in a vote held on the club's social networks.

With 54.3% of the votes, Bruno Henrique topped the poll . In second place, Jorginho — a standout midfielder — received 37.4%. Luiz Araújo (5.5%) and Everton Cebolinha (2.9%) completed the list of most voted.

BRUNO HENRIQUE'S NUMBERS IN THE MATCH

Bruno Henrique, a starter in the match, was decisive. In 83 minutes on the field, he scored the only goal of the match with a precise header after a corner kick from Luiz Araújo . In addition to the goal, he completed 6 of 10 passes (60% accuracy) and completed three dribbles, confirming his position as one of the team's key attacking players.

ABOVE GABIGOL

With his goal against Internacional, the number 27 reaffirmed his reputation as a decisive player and is now among the club's greatest idols. Journalist Thiago Asmar, known as Pilhado, stated that Bruno Henrique has already surpassed Gabigol as Flamengo's all-time great .

Thiago Asmar: "Bruno Henrique has already surpassed Gabigol in idolatry at Flamengo"

"In my opinion, Bruno Henrique has already surpassed Gabigol in idolatry at Flamengo. Gabigol left controversially, while Bruno Henrique stayed and continues to be decisive. He was instrumental in the Brazilian Super Cup title and, once again, this time in the Libertadores. He's a guy who, when the game is big, has to get the ball to him," he stated.

FLAMENGO'S NEXT GAME

Flamengo will face Internacional again on Sunday (17), at 6:30 pm (Brasília time), at Beira-Rio , for the 20th round of the Brasileirão. The duel marks the beginning of the second half and will serve as preparation for the second leg of the round of 16 of the Libertadores, the following week.

Referee Rodrigo Pereira will be responsible for commanding Internacional x Flamengo, this Sunday (17), for the Brasileirão . It will be the 12th time that he whistles a Mengão game and curiously, repeating the confrontation against the team from Rio Grande do Sul in the second round of the Brazilian Championship .

In the last match under his refereeing, in the 36th round of the 2024 Brasileirão, Rubro-Negro beat Internacional 3-2, at Maracanã, with goals from Léo Ortiz and Michael (2) . Rodrigo Pereira's performance, however, did not go unnoticed.

During Colorado's second goal, Flamengo players and fans complained about a clash between Plata and the referee early in the play . Flamengo had possession of the ball in their defensive half but lost it after the collision, allowing Enner Valencia to shoot. The CBF will soon release the full refereeing schedule, including Rodrigo Pereira's assistants and the VAR official.

REFEREE'S RETROSPECT WITH FLAMENGO

Recently, Rodrigo Pereira was involved in the 0-0 draw against Ceará, in the 18th round, in a match marked by a large number of interruptions : 26 fouls were called, 12 from Flamengo and 14 from the opponent.

Pereira maintains the characteristic of stopping the game a lot, which is reflected in the high average of cards - 60 yellow cards distributed in 11 Fla games (28 for Rubro-Negro and 32 for rivals), which gives 5.4 per game. In total, Flamengo has 5 wins, 5 draws and only 1 loss with the referee, a 60.6% success rate.

SCENARIO FOR THE DUEL

The match at Beira-Rio will be the second chapter in the trilogy between Flamengo and Internacional, who also face each other in the round of 16 of the Copa Libertadores . Flamengo won the first leg 1-0 at Maracanã and is looking to maintain its lead in the Brasileirão — currently with 40 points, three more than second-place Cruzeiro.

Flamengo remains interested in signing goalkeeper Gabriel Brazão , from Santos, to strengthen the squad in 2026. At 24 years old, the player is in great form and was already on the red-black radar since the confirmation of the departure of Matheus Cunha , who signed a pre-contract with Cruzeiro and will leave the club at the end of the year.

The deal, already considered difficult, has become even more complicated. This is because Santos loaned reserve goalkeeper João Paulo to Bahia , which practically makes Brazão's release this season impossible. Mengão, however, is unlikely to make an offer this season, as the goalkeeper has already played eight Brasileirão games, which would preclude his participation in the rest of the season.

With an estimated market value of €6 million (approximately R$38 million) , the Santos goalkeeper is being closely monitored by Flamengo , which plans to reevaluate the situation next year. The possibility of progress in negotiations will depend on Santos strengthening its squad for the position.

GABRIEL BRAZÃO NUMBERS

Discovered by Cruzeiro and with experience in Italian football—including Inter Milan and Parma— Brazão arrived at Santos in 2024 and quickly established himself as a starter . In the Brasileirão, he's among the leaders in saves, sharing the spotlight with Vitória's Lucas Arcanjo. In total, he has made 70 decisive saves, attracting attention both in Brazil and Europe.

JOÃO PAULO'S LOAN TO BAHIA

Meanwhile, João Paulo is already in Salvador for medical exams and to sign a contract with Bahia. The loan agreement runs until December and includes buyout clauses , reinforcing Santos' need to keep Brazão as a starter until the end of the season.