Filipe Luís on why Flamengo struggled against Racing in Libertadores | OneFootball

Flamengo had difficulties ‘breaking through’ Racing’s (ARG) defense

Flamengo defeated Racing (ARG) 1-0 this Wednesday (22), in the first leg of the Libertadores semifinal. Despite the Argentine team’s defensive ‘lockdown’, Mengão managed to find the net in the final minutes. In a press conference, coach Filipe Luís revealed he was not surprised by the opponent’s approach.

— I expected it, because I watched many Racing games and that’s the way they play. It’s very difficult for a coach to change his style of play. It’s a team that plays like this everywhere they go. Sometimes they press harder, sometimes not so much, they make adjustments for the game plan — he said, before concluding:

— But I expected this Racing I saw today, a very vertical team, trying to exploit the space behind our defense and aggressive in marking. Argentine teams are strong in these duels. Pretty much everything we expected happened. It’s a pity we didn’t leave with an even bigger advantage, but it was a fair result — concluded Filipe Luís.

What was Racing’s approach in the match against Flamengo?

As highlighted by Filipe Luís, Racing insisted on long balls to Maravilla Martínez. However, the Flamengo defense managed to ‘nullify’ the striker, who didn’t pose much danger to Agustín Rossi. On the other hand, Mengão had difficulties at Maracanã due to the Argentine defensive strategy.

However, after much persistence, Flamengo managed to score against Racing. Bruno Henrique received a through ball, one-on-one with the goalkeeper, but missed the chance. On the rebound, Carrascal sent it to the back of the net in the 42nd minute of the second half.

When will Flamengo and Racing face each other again?

After the 1-0 victory at Maracanã, Flamengo and Racing will face each other again next Wednesday (29), at 9:30 PM (Brasília time), at Estadio Presidente Perón, in Avellaneda. Thanks to the win, Filipe Luís’ team can even draw and still qualify for the Libertadores final.

What is Flamengo’s next match?

Before thinking about the Libertadores, however, Flamengo has an important commitment in the Brasileirão. This Saturday (25), Mengão faces Fortaleza at 7:30 PM (Brasília time), at Arena Castelão.

Thus, as tradition dictates, Coluna do Fla will provide the best coverage on the internet, through YouTube, the website, and social media. However, Premiere (pay-per-view) will broadcast the match between Flamengo and Racing.

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