Ayrton Lucas on squad confidence for Flamengo v Cruzeiro in Libertadores

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Coluna do Fla

·10 August 2026

Ayrton Lucas on squad confidence for Flamengo v Cruzeiro in Libertadores

How did Ayrton Lucas perform in Flamengo vs. Vitória?

Ayrton Lucas was in the starting lineup for Flamengo’s 2-0 win over Vitória this Sunday (09), in the 22nd round of the Brasileirão. After the match, the left-back highlighted the importance of the result in order to go into the game against Cruzeiro in the Libertadores with confidence.

— First of all, we have to feel better about what we did today. It was very important for us to play well today so we can go into our next commitment with more confidence. We know they’re a quality team (Cruzeiro) — he said, before concluding:

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— We know the difficulties we’re going to face there, but I think today’s match was a good one for us to gain more confidence. Now it’s time to rest and start thinking about the next game, right? I hope we play a good match and, God willing, come away with qualification — the full-back concluded.

What is Ayrton Lucas’ situation at Flamengo?

On July 22, Flamengo beat Chapecoense 4-0 at Arena Condá. After the match, Ayrton Lucas opened up about the mistakes in the game and revealed that he had been working on strengthening his mental side. So, this Sunday (09), the full-back spoke about the subject again.

I think I’ve already said it more than once. I’ve been through everything at Flamengo, so I think the mental side is the most important thing for an athlete. So I’ve been working a lot on that, especially, because it’s very important. It ends up lifting you up again. If you have a good mindset, that ends up affecting your whole game. I think my individual performance was far below what I’m capable of and how much I can help the team, but like I said, I’m preparing my mind, especially psychologically, so that when things like that happen, I can try to forget it and move on, because I know how much I can help the team. In the end, if I don’t keep that in mind and don’t move forward, I think I’ll end up hurting the whole team. So I’m happy to be moving on and helping my team. It’s good work,” Ayrton Lucas added.

Did Flamengo cut Palmeiras’ lead?

With the win this Sunday (09), Flamengo reached 42 points and remained in second place in the Brasileirão. Palmeiras, meanwhile, drew 0-0 with Internacional and now has 48 points.

In other words, Flamengo saw the gap to Palmeiras at the top of the Brasileirão fall to six points. Ayrton Lucas therefore stressed that the Rubro-Negro need to focus on their own work.

Of course we keep an eye on it. But first of all, we have to think about doing our part. There’s no point in watching Palmeiras draw or lose if we don’t do our part. So I think it was important not only to win today to cut the gap, but also to give our team confidence. Because a team lives off positive results. So we’re happy to get this win together with the fans, because we know it will be very important for us to stay strong throughout the season. And, God willing, we’ll achieve our objectives,” the full-back concluded.

What is Flamengo’s next match?

With Ayrton Lucas available, Flamengo now turn their focus back to the Libertadores. This Wednesday (12), Leonardo Jardim’s team face Cruzeiro at 9:30 p.m. (Brasília time) at the Maracanã, in the first leg of the round of 16.

As tradition dictates, Coluna do Fla brings you all the details of Flamengo’s 2026 season. So stay tuned to the website, social media and YouTube. In addition, Globo (free-to-air TV), GE TV (YouTube), and Paramount+ (streaming) will broadcast the match against Cruzeiro.

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