Vasco star in top form, key for Copa do Brasil tie with Botafogo | OneFootball

The hope of Vasco da Gama for the decisive classic against Botafogo has a name, surname, and the number 10 jersey: Philippe Coutinho. The midfielder is in his best form since returning to the club and has become the main weapon and the big bet for the match that is worth a spot in the semifinals of the Copa do Brasil. The player's moment is so good that his numbers already stand out on the national scene.

+ Vasco's top scorer rises in historical ranking and may surpass club idol

Athlete lives his most scoring season in five years

With nine goals and three assists in 36 games, Coutinho is having his most scoring season since 2019/2020. On that occasion, playing for Bayern Munich, he scored 11 times. His current numbers, in fact, surpass those of other prominent midfielders in Brazil, such as Savarino, from Botafogo itself, and are very close to those of Matheus Pereira, from Cruzeiro.

The peak of his form was seen in the rout over Santos. In the match, he scored two goals and had his best performance since his return.

The rebirth of Coutinho is explained by a combination of factors. The arrival of Fernando Diniz, with an associative style of play and ball possession, enhanced his qualities. In addition, and perhaps most importantly, the player managed to leave behind the physical problems that troubled him last year, gaining the sequence of games he needed.

Coutinho celebrates one of his goals - Photo: Matheus Lima/Vasco

Match stadium brings historical memories

To increase the expectation even more, the stage of the decision is special for the star. It was at Nilton Santos Stadium, in 2010, that Coutinho scored his first two goals as a professional player for Vasco. The game, curiously, was against the same Botafogo and ended with the same score as the recent rout over Santos: 6 to 0. The fans, therefore, cling to history and the talent of their greatest idol to dream of qualification.

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