Léo Ortiz on Flamengo's 'war' with Cruzeiro in the Libertadores

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Coluna do Fla

·10 August 2026

Léo Ortiz on Flamengo's 'war' with Cruzeiro in the Libertadores

What did Flamengo center-back Léo Ortiz say about the game against Cruzeiro?

Center-back Léo Ortiz returned to action for Flamengo last Sunday (09) in the match against Vitória in the Brasileirão. After Mengão’s 2-0 win, the number 3 already shared his thoughts on the series against Cruzeiro in the Libertadores Round of 16.

– The first battle of these 180 minutes. We have the advantage of deciding at home, but it’s always good to get a strong result in the first game and bring it back here, because we are strong here. Work, rest, recover. It was a game that demanded a lot from us. Time to go to war -, said Léo Ortiz in an interview with ‘Flamengo TV’.

Flamengo and Cruzeiro begin their knockout-stage clashes in the Libertadores this Wednesday (12), at 9:30 pm (Brasília time), at Mineirão. Then, on August 19 (Wednesday), Rubro-Negro will face the Minas Gerais side again at the same time, but at the Maracanã.

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SEE FLAMENGO’S LIBERTADORES MATCHES:12/08 – Cruzeiro vs Flamengo – 9:30 pm – Mineirão19/08 – Flamengo vs Cruzeiro – 9:30 pm – Maracanã*All times are Brasília time.

HOW WAS LÉO ORTIZ’S RETURN IN FLAMENGO VS VITÓRIA?

Léo Ortiz suffered a muscle injury in Flamengo’s match against Coritiba at the end of May. As a result, the defender returned against Vitória and started alongside Léo Pereira. The number 3 played the full 90 minutes and helped ensure Flamengo’s defense was not breached at the Maracanã.

After the match, Léo Ortiz spoke about the importance of Flamengo’s positive result against Vitória. In the defender’s view, the win helped Rubro-Negro ease the turbulent spell after two straight draws in the Brasileirão.

— In the “turbulent” moments we experience at Flamengo because of how big the club is and the level of demands here, when we go two games without winning, a win like this is needed. To push away the doubts. We know this group’s ability, what it can do, what it has already done, and what it is looking to do. What has been done is done, it will never be erased, but we do not live off the past. We want to achieve more things. A new beginning, very happy to be back -, said Ortiz.

WHAT IS FLAMENGO’S NEXT MATCH?

With Léo Ortiz available, Flamengo return to the pitch this Wednesday (12) to face Cruzeiro in the first leg of the Libertadores Round of 16. In short, the ball starts rolling at 9:30 pm (Brasília time) at Mineirão. As usual, Coluna do Fla TV will cover the match details on YouTube, as well as on its website and social media.

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