Atlético hold on, but Bruno Henrique’s late goal denies Alvinegro | OneFootball

Atlético returned to the field this Tuesday (25th), at Arena MRV, in their first match after the tough penalty shootout defeat in the Copa Sudamericana final. In front of a crowd well below the usual — the lowest since the stadium’s inauguration — Galo drew 1-1 with Flamengo, the leader of the Brazilian Championship.

With this result, Atlético reaches 45 points and drops to 12th place. Flamengo, now with 75 points, needs just two more points to secure the national title without depending on other results.

Changes in both teams

Jorge Sampaoli made three changes to the starting lineup. Without Igor Gomes, who was suspended, Alexsander took the spot in midfield. Two other changes were tactical decisions: Natanael and Saravia started the match, while Rony and Tressoldi were on the bench.

On the red-and-black side, Felipe Luís rested some starters with an eye on the Libertadores final on Saturday. Arrascaeta, Jorginho, Alex Sandro, and Bruno Henrique, for example, began the match among the substitutes.

Flamengo dominates, but Galo is lethal in their only chance

Flamengo’s superiority in the first half was clear. The first two big chances came from the Rio team: Samuel Lino hit the post, and Léo Pereira was stopped by a good save from Everson.

On their first attacking opportunity, Atlético opened the scoring. In the 34th minute, Dudu made a good play down the left and crossed perfectly for Bernard, who appeared unmarked to tap the ball into the empty net.

The goal didn’t change the scenario: Flamengo kept pressing and wasted at least two clear chances with Léo Pereira and Wallace Yan.

Everson shines, but Bruno Henrique equalizes in stoppage time

In the second half, Flamengo increased their attacking pressure, especially after some starters came on. There were several dangerous chances, almost all stopped by Everson, the standout of the match. Atlético stayed back and created only one opportunity, a shot by Rony that was saved by Rossi.

When victory seemed certain for Galo, the equalizer came in stoppage time. In the 47th minute, Danilo crossed into the box and Bruno Henrique, who had come on in the second half, rose highest to head the ball into the corner and level the score.

Upcoming fixtures

Atlético returns to the field next Sunday, when they face Fortaleza at Arena Castelão at 6:30 p.m. Flamengo, meanwhile, focuses its attention on the Copa Libertadores final on Saturday, against Palmeiras.

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