In the last round of the Libertadores group stage, Flamengo, now under the command of coach Tite, saw its long undefeated streak as home team come to an end. The 1-0 defeat marked the end of a run of 28 matches without losing at home in the competition. The negative result was a shock for the fans, mainly because it occurred at a crucial moment in the season and because of the expectations surrounding the team led by a renowned coach like Tite.

The last time Flamengo had been defeated at Maracanã by the Libertadores was in April 2019, when Peñarol beat the red-black team by the same score of 1-0. The current setback, therefore, brought back memories of that game, creating a feeling of déjà vu among fans . It is worth remembering that, at that time, Flamengo was in a moment of transition and seeking to consolidate itself as one of the powers of South American football.

With the arrival of Tite at the helm of Flamengo, the expectation was that the team would gain tactical consistency and competitiveness in important tournaments, such as the Libertadores itself. Tite, who has a respected CV, mainly for his work in the Brazilian national team, was hired with the mission of making Flamengo become dominant again both on the national and international scene.

The defeat at home, however , served as a cold water for part of the fans who expected a quiet victory. Their unbeaten record at home was seen as one of Flamengo's trump cards in continental competition, a guarantee of strength within their domains. By losing this status, the team will now need to deal with the pressure and doubts that arise from this result.

After the 1-0 defeat to Peñarol, in the first game of the Libertadores quarter-finals, coach Tite held a press conference at Maracanã. The team did not perform well and was booed by the fans. Despite the setback, the coach remained confident for the second leg, which will be held in Uruguay.

Regarding the boos coming from the stands, Tite admitted that the fans' dissatisfaction is understandable. "Of course this hurts, especially on the human side. But experience shows that, when you deliver a good production, the fan's reaction is proportional to the love they feel for the club", said the coach, highlighting the emotional bond between the fans and the Most Dear.

The coach was also asked about the difficulty of Mengão in achieving victories away from home in the Libertadores, since 2022. The last victory away from home came on August 31, 2022, against Vélez Sarsfield, with an impressive 4-0. "We have a great opportunity to break this sequence This is part of the history of football, and I believe we are fully capable of getting there and changing this scenario", replied Tite, showing optimism.

Tite guaranteed that the team will be more effective in Uruguay, promising a better performance. "Within two or three minutes, we score the goal, and from that point on, we work on the result. In some moments we were hasty, and the opposing goalkeeper also had merit. But I'm confident that we will create half of the opportunities and convert them into goals there. You can charge me later", said the coach, projecting a positive scenario for the second leg.

Life is not easy for one of Flamengo's players. In this sense, we are talking about the striker Gabigol, who will have to equal the goal average of Erling Haaland, from Manchester City, to avoid having his lowest scoring season for Flamengo in 2024.

The number 99 scored so far just four goals in 26 games. In the last year of his contract, the 28-year-old player accumulated poor performances, lost space in the team and was also involved in off-field controversies. Currently, he is the last option in the position for the coaching staff.

His worst record for the club so far is 20 goals scored, which he had in 2023. In previous years, he found the net 29 times ( 2022), 34 times (2021), 27 times (2020) and 43 times (2019). His highest scoring season was precisely the first, when the player was on loan to Fla from Inter Milan.

To surpass last year's number, he would need an average of more of one goal per game — 15 clashes to come. At this moment, Flamengo has 16 more games confirmed until the end of the season, but Gabigol is already out of this Thursday's clash (19) against Peñarol, in the quarterfinals of the Libertadores. He had a thigh problem in the derby against Vasco, but it was not listed even without a diagnosed injury.

This performance is close to that recorded by the phenomenon Haaland. The City striker has already found the net ten times in eight games at the start of the European season, averaging 1.25 goals per game. Counting the entire year 2024, the Norwegian has 33 goals in 35 games — an average of 0.94, which would make Gabigol score 19 more times by the end of December. Haaland's average throughout his career is 0.84.

Counting all the possible matches that the Rubro-negro could have in 2024 (eight more), the average for Gabigol to at least equal his worst score in Fla could "drop" to at least 0.69 — he would need 16 goals in this projection with 23 more games. If the team led by Tite advances to the final of the Copa do Brasil and Libertadores, there would be five more games (average of 0.8). If Fla wins the continental tournament, it could have up to three more if it gets a place in the FIFA Intercontinental Cup final.

2019: 43 goals in 59 games (average of 0.73)

2020: 27 goals in 43 games (average of 0.63)

2021: 34 goals in 45 games ( average of 0.76)

2022: 29 goals in 63 games (average of 0.46)

2023: 20 goals in 58 games (average of 0.34)

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2024: 4 goals in 26 games so far (average 0.15)