Léo Pereira on Bruno Henrique horror tackle: “If he’d gone off...” | OneFootball

Defender complained about the yellow card shown to Matheus Henrique after a studs-up challenge 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 a moment that could have changed the course of the result: Matheus Henrique’s studs-up challenge on Bruno Henrique early in the first half.

In response to Coluna do Fla reporter Rodrigo Lima about the incident, Flamengo defender Léo Pereira said the referee should have shown a red card to the Cruzeiro player. In addition, the center back ended by lamenting the physical harm 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 obvious. I think everyone agrees. Even the players on their team should agree that it was a red-card challenge. But anyway, he made a mistake, there’s not much more to say — he said.

— Now we have to help our player recover, because he’s an important player, he was having a great game, and then he was in pain and ended up being affected by it. And for sure, if their player had been sent off, the result might suddenly have been different — Léo Pereira said in the mixed zone.

HOW DID THE PLAY HAPPEN?

In the 11th minute of the first half, Matheus Henrique caught Bruno Henrique in the shin with the studs of his boot, a classic red-card offense. However, Argentine referee Yael Falcón Pérez showed only a yellow card, sparking immediate outrage among Flamengo’s players and fans. After that, the No. 27 stayed on the field, but was eventually substituted for Pedro in the second half.

WHAT DID LÉO PEREIRA THINK OF THE MATCH?

Flamengo and Cruzeiro played out a very balanced duel, with good chances created by both sides. The Minas Gerais team opened the scoring through Arroyo, while Lucas Paquetá quickly leveled things up. For Léo Pereira, Rubro-Negro controlled the match for most of the time, but he acknowledged that the setback came precisely during the opponent’s strongest 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 ended up rushing things, trying 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 RETURN LEG?

The fight for a place in the Copa Libertadores quarterfinals will be decided next Wednesday (19) at the Maracanã. So, the ball starts rolling for Flamengo and Cruzeiro at 9:30 p.m. (Brasília time).

Whoever wins will face Deportes Tolima (COL) or Independiente del Valle (ECU). If the all-Brazilian clash ends in another draw, the tie will be decided on penalties. As tradition dictates, Coluna do Fla will provide full coverage of the decisive match.

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