Matheus Henrique's apology to Bruno Henrique | OneFootball

Bruno Henrique left Mineirão Stadium limping after a hard challenge from Matheus Henrique

Flamengo and Cruzeiro drew 1-1 on Wednesday (12) in the first leg of the Copa Libertadores round of 16. After a very hard foul on Bruno Henrique, Matheus Henrique revealed what he said to Flamengo’s No. 27 while they were still on the pitch.

In short, speaking in the mixed zone at Mineirão, Matheus Henrique said he apologized to Bruno Henrique for the hard challenge. However, the Cruzeiro player stated that his intention was not to injure the Flamengo forward.

What did the Cruzeiro player say?

— I told him right there on the field that I didn’t mean any harm, especially since it only grazed him. I was a bit worried because we recently had an incident with our teammate Pec. So I would never want to do anything to hurt him — he said, before adding:

— I apologized, and the referee said right there on the field that it had been reviewed and that it wasn’t intense enough to send me off. It was the refereeing decision. Just like there was my play, there was also the foul play that, from our team’s point of view, we already reviewed it and it wasn’t a foul, and it ended up leading to their equalizer — he concluded.

What happened in the play in question?

In short, in the 11th minute of the first half, Matheus Henrique went in with his studs into the middle of Bruno Henrique’s shin, a classic red-card challenge. However, the referee only showed a yellow card, infuriating Flamengo players and fans.

Despite the hard challenge, Bruno Henrique stayed in the game until the second half, when he left the field to make way for Pedro. However, Flamengo’s No. 27 left Mineirão limping and furious that Matheus Henrique was not sent off. The Flamengo captain revealed that, at Ninho do Urubu, he will undergo tests to understand the severity of what happened, since he was in a lot of pain.

What else did Matheus Henrique say?

Besides the incident involving Bruno Henrique, Matheus Henrique also spoke about the result of the first match. Finally, the Cruzeiro player looked ahead to the second leg, which will take place at the Maracanã. According to the player, the Minas Gerais side has what it takes to return to Belo Horizonte with qualification for the Copa Libertadores quarterfinals.

— It was a wonderful atmosphere in the stands, from the moment our bus arrived. We really wanted to leave here with the advantage. We knew how difficult the match would be. These are two big teams that try to play, that look to attack all the time, and we went ahead, we had the privilege of taking the lead — he said, before adding:

— But after the foul play, we ended up conceding the equalizer. Of course we didn’t want that. We wanted to take an advantage into the second leg, because that’s how it is in a knockout tie: having the advantage of playing at home. And now we’re going to decide it there at the Maracanã. First, rest — it was a very demanding game physically and mentally — and think about Corinthians. After Corinthians, the focus is 100% on the Libertadores, because we know we do have what it takes to bring qualification back to Belo Horizonte — he concluded.

When is the second leg?

Finally, Flamengo and Cruzeiro will decide the quarterfinal spot in the Copa Libertadores next Wednesday (19), at the Maracanã. Meanwhile, kick-off is set for 9:30 p.m. (Brasília time), with live coverage on free-to-air TV by Rede Globo.

However, before that, both teams have Brazilian Championship commitments. On Sunday (16), while Flamengo face Mirassol at 6:30 p.m. (Brasília time), Cruzeiro take on Corinthians starting at 7:30 p.m. (Brasília time).

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