“Maravilla” Martínez blocks Flamengo’s path to Libertadores final | OneFootball

Strengthened after defeating Palmeiras and catching up to them at the top of the Brasileirão, Flamengo arrives as the big favorite to kick off, this Wednesday at the Maracanã, the semifinals of the Copa Libertadores against Racing de Avellaneda. However, there is a serious threat: striker Adrián “Maravilla” Martínez.

The 33-year-old player is the top scorer of this edition of the Libertadores, alongside José Manuel López (Palmeiras), with seven goals each, and was decisive in the previous rounds, scoring against Peñarol (round of 16) and Vélez Sarsfield (quarterfinals).

Recovered from a muscle injury that kept him out for 15 days, Martínez once again sets his sights on Mengão’s goal, promising to be the main threat for the team from Rio.

Caution from Filipe Luís

Even with the weight of the three-time Libertadores champion jersey (1981, 2019, and 2022), coach Filipe Luís preaches respect for the opponent.

The second leg will be played next Wednesday at the Estadio El Cilindro in Avellaneda.

The winner will face the victor of Palmeiras vs. LDU de Quito, whose semifinal begins on Thursday, in a clash that will decide the opponent for the final scheduled for November 29 at the Estadio Monumental de Lima.

A fired-up and lethal Flamengo

With the 3-2 win over the weekend, Flamengo caught up with Palmeiras at the top of the national championship, both with 61 points and ten rounds remaining.

The standouts were Giorgian De Arrascaeta and Pedro, who were involved in all three goals: first with an assist from the striker to the Uruguayan number 10, and then switching roles for the third goal.

Enjoying an excellent run and in the midst of negotiations to renew his contract, which expires at the end of 2026, De Arrascaeta has 15 goals and 12 assists in 26 matches in the Brasileirão.

The bad news was the injury to defender Léo Ortiz, who hurt his right ankle after a collision with Vitor Roque. Defender Danilo is expected to replace him alongside Léo Pereira.

Racing confident with “Maravilla” back

The coach celebrated the historic qualification for the semifinals, highlighting the pride of the squad after the 1-0 win over Aldosivi in the Argentine league, a match in which “Maravilla” Martínez returned to the field in the 71st minute.

In addition to the striker, Racing also welcomed back Juan Nardoni and Santiago Sosa, important players who returned after injury.

Revitalized under Costas’ leadership, the Argentine club has a recent positive record against Brazilian teams: they won the 2024 Copa Sudamericana by beating Cruzeiro and, earlier this year, claimed the Recopa Sudamericana over Botafogo, the current Libertadores champion.

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