Flamengo fight back, but River Plate grab draw in Portugal opener

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Coluna do Fla

·3 July 2026

Flamengo fight back, but River Plate grab draw in Portugal opener

How did Flamengo vs River Plate (ARG) go during the mid-season break in Portugal?

Flamengo played their first friendly of the mid-season break in Portugal. At Estádio Algarve, the Rubro-Negro came from behind against River Plate (ARG), but ended up drawing 2-2 with the Argentine side.

HOW WAS THE FIRST HALF BETWEEN FLAMENGO AND RIVER PLATE?

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Eight minutes into the first half, Flamengo made a mistake while playing out from the back after Jorginho misplaced a pass near the edge of the box, and River Plate forward Driussi found the net. Right after that, in the 9th minute, Pedro had a chance to equalize, but Beltrán made the save.

In the following plays, Flamengo kept trying to score their first goal of the match with shots from Erick Pulgar and Luiz Araújo, but they could not convert. In the 22nd minute, Pedro had a clear chance in front of goal, but Beltrán pulled off a ‘miracle’ for River Plate.

In the 29th minute of the first half, Jorginho pressed River Plate’s buildup and found a pass to Samuel Lino. After controlling the ball, the number 16 fired into the right corner of the Argentine team’s goal and leveled the match.

Three minutes later, in the 32nd minute, Bruno Henrique received a beautiful pass from Samuel Lino. Inside the box, the forward cut sharply past the River Plate defender and, with a powerful strike, scored a stunner to turn the game around for Mengão. However, in the 37th minute, Driussi made it all square again. In the last dangerous chance of the first half, in the 43rd minute, the number 27 hit a header off the opponent’s post.

HOW WAS THE SECOND HALF OF FLAMENGO VS RIVER PLATE?

The start of the second half was very cautious. As a result, neither team took many risks, trying to better understand the opponent’s tactical setup. The first dangerous chance came in the 20th minute for River Plate, but Rossi made a good save.

During the second half, Leonardo Jardim began making changes to rotate the squad. Even without much inspiration, Flamengo kept pushing for the win. As a result, the match ended 2-2.

HOW IS FLAMENGO’S MID-SEASON BREAK IN PORTUGAL GOING?

It is important to note that this was the first of three matches Flamengo will play during the mid-season break in Portugal. After the clash with River Plate, the Rubro-Negro return to the field on Wednesday (08) to face Lausanne Sports (SUI) at 4:30 p.m. (Brasília time). Finally, on July 11, Mengo will take on Benfica (POR) at 3:30 p.m. (Brasília time).

WHAT IS FLAMENGO’S NEXT MATCH DURING THE MID-SEASON BREAK IN PORTUGAL?

Flamengo’s next match in Portugal will be against Lausanne at 4:30 p.m. (Brasília time) this Wednesday (08), at Estádio Algarve. As usual, Coluna do Fla TV will cover all the details of the match on YouTube, as well as on its website and social media. Finally, Band (free-to-air TV), GETV (YouTube), and SporTV2 (pay TV) will broadcast the clash.

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