Léo Pereira after tackle on Bruno Henrique: “If sent off, different” | OneFootball

Defender complained about the yellow card shown to Matheus Henrique after he stamped on Bruno Henrique’s shin

Flamengo drew 1-1 with Cruzeiro this Wednesday (12) in the first leg of the Libertadores Round of 16. The match was highly contested, but it was marked by an incident that could have changed the course of the result: Matheus Henrique’s stamp on Bruno Henrique early in the first half.

In response to Coluna do Fla reporter Rodrigo Lima about the incident, Flamengo center back Léo Pereira said the referee should have shown a red card to the Cruzeiro player. The defender also ended by lamenting the physical damage caused to Bruno Henrique and stressed that the opponent’s sending-off could have changed the outcome of the clash at Mineirão.

— I think he got it wrong, it’s more than clear. I think everyone agrees. Even the players on their team must agree that it was a sending-off. But anyway, he made a mistake, there’s not much to say, he said.

— Now it’s about getting our player fit again, because he’s an important player, he was having a great game, and then he was left in pain and was affected by it. And for sure, if their player had been sent off, the result could suddenly have been different, Léo Pereira said in the mixed zone.

WHAT HAPPENED IN THE INCIDENT?

In the 11th minute of the first half, Matheus Henrique caught Bruno Henrique in the shin with his studs, a classic red-card challenge. However, Argentine referee Yael Falcón Pérez showed only a yellow card, sparking immediate outrage among Flamengo’s players and fans. Bruno Henrique, who wears number 27, stayed on the pitch afterward but was eventually replaced by Pedro in the second half.

WHAT DID LÉO PEREIRA THINK OF THE MATCH?

Flamengo and Cruzeiro played out a very balanced contest, with good chances created by both sides. The Minas Gerais team took the lead through Arroyo, while Lucas Paquetá quickly equalized. For Léo Pereira, Flamengo controlled the match for most of the time, but he acknowledged that the setback came precisely during the opponent’s best spell.

— We know we had control of the game for most of the time. And at the moment when we conceded the goal, I believe that was their best moment in the match, and they were trying to make the most of it, playing at home in front of their fans, who were pushing them on, he said, before continuing:

— And at some point we also rushed things, we ended up wanting to play a little faster, which wasn’t what we had planned. And of course they took advantage of some counterattacking balls (…) A match between two great teams, and now we’re going with all our strength to decide it at home, he concluded.

WHAT ABOUT THE SECOND LEG?

The decider for a place in the Copa Libertadores quarterfinals will take place next Wednesday (19) at the Maracanã. So, Flamengo and Cruzeiro will kick off at 9:30 p.m. Brasília time.

Whoever wins will face Deportes Tolima (COL) or Independiente del Valle (ECU). If the all-Brazilian tie ends level again, the matchup will go to a penalty shootout. As always, Coluna do Fla will provide full coverage of the decisive clash.

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