Flamengo shows its power of reaction and takes the lead against Athletico in the Copa do Brasil

Flamengo again showed its power of reaction and managed to start with an advantage in the decision against Athletico Paranaense, in a match valid for the quarterfinals of the Copa do Brasil. That Wednesday night (05), the first ninety minutes of the tie were decisive to define a tiebreaker between the two red-blacks, who recently faced each other five times in knockouts. The home team proved to be competent against a crowded Marcanã and managed a positive result, aiming for the second game in the Ligga Arena. Meanwhile, Hurricane managed to surprise the rival once again, as it has done in other opportunities within the same competition, but disappointed its fans due to its extremely defensive posture.

First time

Playing the first match away from home and facing a more qualified squad, Athlético opted for a more defensive posture at Maracanã. The greatest weapon of the team from Paraná were long balls at speed, where Vitor Roque and Cannobio quarreled with the defenders and led the offensive chances. Hurricane’s pair of forwards took advantage of the only opportunity and quickly scored for the Uruguayan to open the scoring, after midfielder Pulgar’s inattention. The submission of shirt number 14 athleticano came out low during the departure of Matheus Cunha.

From that moment on, Flamengo had a giant dominance in possession of the ball, pushing Athletico to the boom. However, the rubro-netro failed to finish many times in the opposing goal, the only two clear chances were from a free kick by Arrascaeta and a weak header by Pulgar, which ended peacefully in the hands of goalkeeper Bento.

Second time

The script seen in the first half was repeated during the second half, but Athlético’s defensive dedication drastically decreased, generating increasingly dangerous attacks from Flamengo. Possession of the ball continued favorably and it took just eight minutes for the score to level again. After Gerson’s attempted cross, Madson shared with Arrascaeta, the winger ended up committing a childish penalty, hitting the Uruguayan midfielder’s shin. The charge was reviewed by VAR and Pedro charged firmly and did not waste it, equaling the dispute at Maracanã.

The comeback seemed more and more likely, even more so because the opponent did not launch the attack, which remained with the same defensive posture from the beginning. And in another dead ball, Bruno Henrique beat Fernandinho at the top and guaranteed the positive result for the home team. The visitors’ only threat after the comeback was a corner kick, defender Pedro Henrique headed weakly and the ball was easy for Matheus Cunha to defend.

_{The best moments of the match. (Video: Playback/Youtube)}

The unrecognizable performance of Athletico Paranaense in the first match inside the Maracanã worried the fans for the return game in Curitiba, despite the dispute still not having a defined score. On the other hand, the team led by Jorge Sampaoli continues to be consistent in recent games, relying mainly on the good return of Bruno Henrique, recently recovered from a serious injury. The two teams will decide the classification of the semi-finals of the Copa do Brasil next Wednesday (12), at the Ligga Arena. Remembering that the team from Rio qualifies with a tie, forcing Hurricane’s victory by any score.

Featured Photo: Bruno Henrique celebrating his goal for Flamengo. Playback/Twitter