Hulk: This is the biggest match since I arrived, ahead of decider

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·17 novembre 2025

Hulk: This is the biggest match since I arrived, ahead of decider

Forward Hulk, an offensive reference and one of Atlético’s team leaders, stated in the mixed zone that, despite the 2-0 defeat to Red Bull Bragantino, the team’s preparation and level of responsibility for the Copa Sudamericana final remain unchanged. The statements were given to Rádio Itatiaia after the match.

According to the striker, the team’s focus on the final had already been set since the second leg against Independiente Del Valle, still in the previous stage of the continental competition.

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“Of course we wanted to be in a better position in the Brasileirão, but regardless of our standing, it won’t change the level of responsibility we’re taking into this final. (…) Since the second home game against Del Valle, we knew it was the most important match of the year.”— Hulk, to Rádio Itatiaia

Hulk compared the current moment to last season, in which Atlético had standout campaigns in the Copa do Brasil and the Libertadores, but finished the Brasileirão with a performance below expectations. The forward assessed that the team didn’t know how to handle the pressure.

“Last year we had wonderful campaigns in the Copa do Brasil and Libertadores, but we fell short in the Brasileirão due to overconfidence in the Cups. (…) The defeat to Flamengo was a blow, we needed to recover points and reach the Libertadores final under a lot of pressure and with Botafogo confident. We couldn’t handle having a man advantage and it ended up being negative.”— Hulk, to Rádio Itatiaia

For the player, this year’s title fight demands maximum concentration, especially because of the mistakes made in previous finals.

“This year we’re coming in more attentive, more alert, because it’s decided in the details, just like last year. It’s total focus, the game of our lives. Since I arrived at Galo, it’s the most important since the Libertadores we lost, and I don’t want that to happen again.”— Hulk, to Rádio Itatiaia

The forward also stated that the draw with Fortaleza at Mineirão and the defeat in Bragança Paulista serve as a warning for the group before the final.

“Both the home draw with Fortaleza and today’s defeat serve as a warning. We have to go in much more focused because it’s a final, there’s no turning back. It’s a do-or-die match.”— Hulk, to Rádio Itatiaia

On Saturday, the 22nd, Galo faces Lanús in the Sudamericana final. The match will be at 5 p.m., at Defensores del Chaco stadium, in Asunción, Paraguay.

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