"European giant level": Filipe Luís blown away by Flamengo star

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Coluna do Fla

·3 November 2025

"European giant level": Filipe Luís blown away by Flamengo star

De La Cruz Returned to Action After Five Games

After five games without stepping onto the field, De La Cruz returned as a starter in Flamengo's 3-0 victory over Sport last Saturday (01). One of the highlights of the match, the Uruguayan midfielder received praise from coach Filipe Luís.

As I've said before, in my knowledge, with a sequence of training, he performs at the level of a major European club. Several things happened before the World Cup. Knee injury, playing through pain, and he lost the ability to accumulate training. He pushed even more afterward, then caught a flu. He lost a lot of that sequence, not even competing for position. Nico, with rhythm and well-trained, is top. He felt good today,” he said.

De La Cruz was left out of the squad against Botafogo, Palmeiras, and Fortaleza. Additionally, he did not play in the two semifinal matches against Racing (ARG). Physical issues and a virus prevented the midfielder from playing.

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However, against Sport, in the 31st round of the Brasileirão, De La Cruz started as a starter, as Filipe Luís could not count on Jorginho, and Pulgar was rested. In Flamengo's comfortable victory, the Uruguayan remained on the field for 76 minutes.

WHAT IS FLAMENGO'S NEXT GAME?

With De La Cruz available, Flamengo's next commitment is on Wednesday (05), against São Paulo, at Morumbi, for the 32nd round. Thus, the match kicks off at 9:30 PM (Brasília time), with broadcast by Rede Globo (open channel) and Premiere (pay-per-view).

Coluna do Fla maintains the tradition of informing fans about all the news of Flamengo. Updates are available on the website, social media, and YouTube channel.

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