Felipe Melo gushes over Flamengo, stunned by goal: “Real Madrid do that” | OneFootball

Felipe Melo heaped praise on Flamengo’s performance against Botafogo

Flamengo received widespread praise after their 3-0 thrashing of Botafogo last Sunday (30) in the Brazilian Championship. However, one statement from Felipe Melo ended up drawing attention after the derby. During the program ‘Fechamento sportv’, the former player placed the Rubro-Negro at the top of the football being played on the continent and compared the third goal to Real Madrid (ESP).

— It’s the most beautiful football in Brazil, maybe even on the continent. They completely steamrolled Botafogo. Even during Botafogo’s good spell, Flamengo still managed to kill off the game. If Flamengo had accelerated a little more, they would have killed it in the first half —, Felipe Melo said.

— That’s the kind of play you see in Europe. Flamengo made a move like the ones you see Liverpool make, Real Madrid make… I’m not comparing the teams, I’m talking about the move itself —, added the former Palmeiras and Fluminense player, referring to the third goal.

The move in question came at the end of the second half. Rossi started a quick counterattack from the back and found Carrascal, who passed to Samuel Lino. The winger then laid it off to Cebolinha, who flicked it with his heel for the Colombian to hit first-time and seal the score.

FLAMENGO’S PERFORMANCE

Flamengo’s dominance was established from the opening minutes of the derby. Even so, they went into the break with only a narrow lead. The first goal was scored by Samuel Lino after a spectacular pass from Jorginho.

In the second half, however, their superiority grew. Two more goals were scored, one again by Samuel Lino and the other by Carrascal, which “brought Real Madrid to mind,” as Felipe Melo pointed out. As a result, the 3-0 rout was confirmed and the three points were secured in the standings.

In addition, the result was seen as important in the race for the Brazilian title. With the win, Flamengo reached 48 points and moved to within four points of leaders Palmeiras. However, the red-and-black side still has a game in hand in the competition.

TITLE RACE

The battle for the top spot in the Brasileirão remains open. That is why the result against Botafogo was highly valued internally. In addition to earning three points, the team also responded after the defeat to Cruzeiro in the previous round.

Now Flamengo face a decisive stretch ahead. Leonardo Jardim’s team has qualified for the Libertadores quarterfinals and will therefore have to split its focus between the Brazilian Championship and the continental competition.

THE AUTHOR’S OPINION, AFTER ALL

— I completely agree with Felipe Melo’s opinion, especially considering the first half. It really was the performance of the best team on the continent. In the second half, the team dropped in level, but still managed to put the game to bed after Jardim made the substitutions —, said Pedro Paulo Catonho, journalist for Coluna do Fla.

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