Léo Ortiz reveals Flamengo self-criticism after shaky win over Botafogo

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Coluna do Fla

·31 August 2026

Léo Ortiz reveals Flamengo self-criticism after shaky win over Botafogo

Flamengo defender admits second-half drop in performance is an internal concern within the squad

Flamengo beat Botafogo 3-0 this Sunday (30), in the 25th round of the Brasileirão. However, despite the positive result, the team’s second-half display once again bothered the Rubro-Negro fans.

After the match, center back Léo Ortiz spoke about Flamengo’s recurring inconsistency in the second half of games. The defender revealed that the issue has already been discussed internally within the squad.

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We notice it during the week; this isn’t the first game where it has happened. So we’ve been working to improve it because, especially in the league, with the small margin we have to chase Palmeiras, we can’t afford to drop points, like we did in a similar game to today against Cruzeiro, when we dropped off a lot in the second half and ended up losing control of the match. We have to work on that during the week, we have to understand it better, because just coming back after halftime and things not working isn’t enough. We have to understand what’s really happening because in such a competitive league and such a competitive Libertadores, we also can’t afford to lose these points and suddenly throw away a positive result at home,” said Léo Ortiz.

Numbers confirm drop-off in the final stage

His remarks reflect a problem that had indeed been repeating itself in recent rounds. Flamengo failed to sustain the pace of the first half and saw Botafogo grow progressively into the match.

The numbers prove this drop in performance. While Flamengo had 71% possession in the first half, that figure fell to 55% in the second.

In addition, the shots also show this difference between the two halves of the match. In the first half, Flamengo had 12 shots compared to just four from Botafogo. In the second half, Fla had six attempts, while the opponent took ten.

Victory cuts gap to leaders Palmeiras

Despite the inconsistency, the win had a positive effect on the table. That’s because Flamengo reduced the gap to leaders Palmeiras, who were only held to a 1-1 draw by Mirassol.

As a result, the Rubro-Negro side reached 48 points in second place, while Palmeiras have 52, though having played one more match.

Finally, the next match will be precisely against Mirassol this Wednesday (02), at 7:30 p.m., at the Maracanã. It is a postponed match from the fourth round of the championship.

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