Arrascaeta no longer sole star, but lifts team-mates and settles big games | OneFootball

From absolute protagonist to creative piece: Arrascaeta’s change of role

Arrascaeta is going through a different moment in his career, and that says a lot about Flamengo’s tactical evolution after the coaching change. In 2025, the team led by Filipe Luís basically played to open up spaces for the number 10.

The coach’s movements and ideas were designed to keep him involved in the final phase of plays. It is no surprise, then, that in the 2025 season, Arrascaeta recorded the highest number of goals and assists of his career. However, under Leonardo Jardim, the midfielder is no longer such a direct end-point in attacking moves.

As a result, Arrascaeta has started to appear earlier in the build-up, taking part more in creation than in finishing. This change, however, does not lessen the importance of the number 10; it simply redistributes roles within the team.

In this way, Arrascaeta trades individual protagonism for a role that also helps his teammates grow. Consequently, both the number 10 and the rest of the squad help Flamengo grow collectively in pursuit of the season’s objectives.

Arrascaeta is still deciding important matches, even with a new role

Even so, no one should confuse this change of role with a loss of importance. The number 10 is still deciding important matches, just in a different way. After all, it was Arrascaeta who provided the assist for Samuel Lino’s goal in the win over Remo.

In addition, the clearest example came in the most important match of the season so far. In the 2-1 victory over Cruzeiro in the second leg of the Copa Libertadores round of 16, Arrascaeta scored Flamengo’s first goal. He also played a direct role in the second, scored by Samuel Lino.

What is Flamengo’s next match?

With Arrascaeta available, Flamengo face Independiente del Valle (ECU) this Thursday (10) in the first leg of the Copa Libertadores quarterfinals. The match will take place at Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa in Quito, at approximately 2,900 meters above sea level, at 9:30 p.m. (Brasília time).

That factor, therefore, demands extra attention from the squad even before kickoff. Having a sharp Arrascaeta in this context could be decisive against a tough opponent away from home. So Flamengo supporters head into the match hoping to see the number 10 deliver once again on the road. However, the result in Quito will also depend on the team as a whole, not just one player.

In any case, winning away from home would be an important step toward the Copa Libertadores semifinals. Flamengo now have to repeat in Ecuador the level they showed against Cruzeiro. It is worth remembering that the second leg against Independiente del Valle will take place on September 17 at the Maracanã.

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