Léo Ortiz says Flamengo's experience spared defeat v Cruzeiro

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Coluna do Fla

·13 August 2026

Léo Ortiz says Flamengo's experience spared defeat v Cruzeiro

Léo Ortiz mentioned Flamengo’s 2025 Copa Libertadores campaign

Flamengo drew 1-1 with Cruzeiro this Wednesday (12) in the first leg of the Copa Libertadores round of 16. After falling behind on the scoreboard, Rubro-Negro fought back through Lucas Paquetá. With that, Léo Ortiz recalled Fla’s 2025 run in the tournament and highlighted the squad’s experience.

— It’s always very difficult to play here. It’s also a great atmosphere. Last year this group proved that it knows how to handle this kind of atmosphere. We played all of last year’s knockout matches away from home. At Beira-Rio, then La Plata, then Avellaneda — he said, before concluding:

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— We’ve faced every kind of scenario and situation. This group is used to these situations and knows how to deal with them very well. After the goal, we knew we had to keep the ball on the ground and go forward, because we had the quality to equalize and even turn it around — Léo Ortiz concluded.

How did Flamengo’s 2025 Copa Libertadores campaign go?

After finishing the group stage in second place in Group C, Flamengo played every knockout round, up to the final, away from home. In the round of 16, Rubro-Negro beat Internacional 3-0, while they knocked out Estudiantes (ARG) on penalties in the quarterfinals.

Then, in the semifinal, Flamengo beat Racing (ARG) 1-0, with a win at the Maracanã and a draw in Avellaneda. Finally, in the final, Rubro-Negro won the Copa Libertadores title after defeating Palmeiras 1-0 in Lima, Peru.

Did Léo Ortiz play a part in Flamengo’s goal against Cruzeiro?

After Arroyo opened the scoring for Cruzeiro, Flamengo equalized in the 22nd minute of the second half. On that play, Léo Ortiz headed the ball off the crossbar and Lucas Paquetá put away the rebound. That way, the center back celebrated his contribution.

Happy to have played a part in the goal. It’s something I like to stay alert for. Glad I made the most of it; the goal didn’t come from me, but Paquetá took advantage. I’m very happy to be back and with the way things have been going, the way I’ve managed to help the team and increasingly contribute in buildup and in defense,” said the defender.

What is Flamengo’s next match?

Flamengo will now turn its focus back to the Brasileirão. This Sunday (16), Rubro-Negro face Mirassol at 6:30 p.m. (Brasília time) at Maião, in the 23rd round of the Brazilian Championship.

As tradition dictates, Coluna do Fla brings all the details of Flamengo’s 2026 season. So stay tuned to the website, social media, and YouTube. In addition, Record (free-to-air), Cazé TV (YouTube), and Premiere (pay-per-view) will broadcast the match against Mirassol.

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