Meet Cruz Azul, Flamengo’s rivals at the Intercontinental | OneFootball

Winner of the Copa Libertadores, Flamengo will make its debut in the Intercontinental Cup against Cruz Azul this Wednesday, at 2 p.m. (Brasília time), at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium. The Mexican club secured its spot in the competition by winning the Concacaf Champions Cup in June.

Squad

The Cruz Azul squad features Mexican, Argentine, Colombian, and Uruguayan players, as well as a Polish player. Lorenzo Faravelli, formerly of Independiente del Valle, is a familiar face. The midfielder was a Copa Sudamericana champion in 2022 and was named the best player in the final against São Paulo. He also was part of the squad that won the Recopa against Flamengo in 2023.

Right winger Mateusz Bogusz played as a strike partner to Lewandowski for Poland and won the MLS with Los Angeles FC in 2023 alongside Gareth Bale. Carlos Rotondi, in turn, was part of the Defensa y Justicia squad that defeated Palmeiras in the 2021 Recopa final. The left wing-back has impressive numbers this year, with seven goals and 12 assists in 44 matches.

Transfers

In the current season, Cruz Azul made the fourth largest signing in its history by acquiring midfielder José Paradela, who came from Necaxa for 10 million euros (R$ 62 million). As for departures, the club lost one of its main players, Greek striker Giakoumakis, who was loaned to PAOK.

According to the website Transfermarkt, which specializes in market values, the Cruz Azul squad is valued at 82 million euros (R$ 508 million). This value is equivalent to the current squads of Internacional and Santos, which are in the same range of 80 to 86 million euros.

Main players and season

Cruz Azul will play the Apertura semifinal against Tigres. In 20 matches in the competition, they have 11 wins, seven draws, and two losses. The highlight is the team’s attacking duo. Ángel Sepúlveda has scored 20 times and provided six assists in 48 matches. Gabriel Fernandez, meanwhile, has netted 14 goals and delivered three assists in 40 games.

The team is managed by coach Nicolas Larcamon, who coached Cruzeiro for 14 matches in 2024 and was dismissed after a loss to Atlético-MG in the Mineiro final. Cruz Azul usually plays in a 3-4-2-1 formation, making frequent use of the wing-backs. The team leads the Mexican Championship in average ball possession, with 57.2%.

The 5-0 victory over the Vancouver Whitecaps in the final of the Concacaf Champions Cup marked Cruz Azul’s seventh triumph in the competition. The club is the tournament’s most successful champion, tied with América, another representative of Mexican football.

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