Alex Telles hails Botafogo draw, warns: Can't wait to concede | OneFootball

Alex Telles was the standout name of the night at Mineirão. By converting the penalty in stoppage time, the left-back avoided defeat and secured Botafogo a draw with a taste of victory against Cruzeiro, ending 2-2. Even so, the scorer of the decisive goal set aside the celebration and adopted a critical tone when evaluating the team's performance.

For the experienced player, the point gained holds significant weight in the fight for a direct spot in the Libertadores group stage. However, the way Botafogo started the match serves as a warning for the "final" of the last round of the Brasileirão.

Criticism of initial stance and halftime talk

Alex Telles was straightforward in identifying the team's main problem: the lack of intensity at the start. According to him, Botafogo only truly began to compete after conceding the first goal.

“We took too long to get into the game. After the goal, we started to play, to have more courage and keep the ball more. We can't wait to concede to start playing,” he said in an interview with CazéTV.

The full-back revealed that this was discussed during halftime and that the conversation in the locker room was crucial for the change in attitude in the second half.

“We said it was only 1-0 and that we needed to improve the transition from one side to the other,” he explained.

Power of reaction

Despite the criticisms, Telles highlighted the team's ability to react, as they fought for the result until the end even after conceding the second goal early in the second half.

“We conceded the second goal, but we need to praise our reaction. Our commitment is always to victory. Botafogo deserves to win always,” he declared.

The full-back also valued the point gained, considering Cruzeiro's performance at home. “This is a tough stadium, Cruzeiro has been playing very well. So it's important to highlight this point, which was hard to earn,” he concluded.

Decisive last round

In the last round, Botafogo still has a chance to finish in fifth place and secure a direct spot in the Libertadores group stage. To do so, they need to beat Fortaleza on Sunday at 4 PM at Nilton Santos and hope for a draw between Fluminense and Bahia, who play at the same time.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.