Flamengo start on the back foot v Cruzeiro in Libertadores; why | OneFootball

Flamengo will have less time to train with the full squad compared to Cruzeiro

Cruzeiro will ‘get a head start’ in preparation for the Copa Libertadores round-of-16 clashes against Flamengo. While the Rubro-Negro side is dealing with the absence of players called up for the World Cup, the Minas Gerais team did not have any players selected for the tournament.

Flamengo had nine players called up: Alex Sandro, Arrascaeta, Carrascal, Danilo, De La Cruz, Léo Pereira, Lucas Paquetá, Plata and Varela. This numerical difference in the squads will give the Minas Gerais team an extra training period compared to the Rubro-Negro side.

WHEN DO THE TEAMS RETURN FROM VACATION?

Cruzeiro, which resumes activities on June 22, will have a full training cycle with the entire squad until the first leg, scheduled for August 12. That means approximately 51 days available.

On the other hand, Flamengo faces a huge challenge. The rubro-negro squad returns on June 19, but the coaching staff will only have the full group available after the end of the World Cup, on July 19.

As a result, Mengão will have only 24 days with the full squad available before the first match at Mineirão. That gap considerably reduces the room for tactical adjustments before the opening leg of the knockout tie.

WHEN WILL THE FLAMENGO VS CRUZEIRO MATCHES TAKE PLACE?

Conmebol confirmed this Wednesday (03) the dates and kickoff times for the matchups. Flamengo, owner of the best record in the group stage (with five wins and one draw in Group A), will decide the spot in Rio de Janeiro. Check out the schedule:

WHO WILL BROADCAST THE MATCHES?

Globo requested exclusive rights to the Wednesday prime-time slot to air both clashes on free-to-air TV across Brazil. The winner of this tie will face the team that advances from the matchup between Deportes Tolima (COL) and Independiente del Valle (EQU) in the quarterfinals, with those games taking place on August 11 and 18.

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