Liverpool star hails Flamengo fans, plans Brazil move: "In my plans" | OneFootball

Has Van Dijk ever played a match against Flamengo?

Flamengo gained even more recognition in world football after their journey in the FIFA Club World Cup. A standout at Liverpool (ENG), defender Van Dijk praised the red-and-black fans and revealed that he plans to visit Brazil.

— I am very familiar with the passion of Brazilian fans. We faced Flamengo in the Qatar World Cup and their fans were incredible. Memphis also told me several times about the Corinthians fans -, he said, before concluding:

— A trip to Brazil is definitely in my plans. I need to find a slot in my schedule. My kids are still very young, but I can give you a 100% guarantee that I will visit Brazil one day -, concluded Van Dijk in an interview with ‘TNT Sports’.

Has Van Dijk faced Flamengo?

To the disappointment of the red-and-black fans, Van Dijk has fond memories when he thinks of Flamengo. This is because Mengão faced Liverpool in the 2019 World Cup, after the Most Beloved won the Libertadores against River Plate (ARG), by 2 to 1.

On that occasion, after a very contested match in regular time, the score ended 0-0. However, in extra time, Roberto Firmino scored the winning goal for Liverpool, and Flamengo ended up as the runner-up of the world tournament.

Will Flamengo fans fill Maracanã?

Flamengo returns to the field this Thursday (18) to face Estudiantes (ARG) in the first leg of the quarter-finals of the Libertadores. With the match at Maracanã, the red-and-black fans have sold out the tickets, and thus, the expectation is for a crowd of around 69,000 attendees.

When do Flamengo and Estudiantes face each other?

The first leg between Flamengo and Estudiantes takes place at 9:30 PM (Brasília time) this Thursday (18), at Maracanã, for the first leg of the quarter-finals of the Libertadores. Following that, the return match will be on the 25th, at the Jorge Luis Hirschi Stadium.

As usual, Coluna do Fla will provide full coverage of the game through YouTube, the website, and social media. However, ESPN (cable channel) and Disney+ (streaming) will broadcast the match between Flamengo and Estudiantes.

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