Paquetá dances past Botafogo then stresses preferred role at Flamengo | OneFootball

Lucas Paquetá marked his fifth game back at Flamengo with his first goal of this second spell, setting a 2-1 win at Botafogo in motion on Sunday at Nilton Santos. The result secured a place in the Campeonato Carioca semi-finals, celebrated in Carnival style.

“That goal had been bothering me a bit, but I kept my head, working and improving. I have a lot to improve, to evolve. Today I am happy with the qualification and Flamengo’s win,” he told the club’s official YouTube channel.

Riffing on a local phrase, he turned “deitou e rolou” into “dançou e rolou” after the derby. Used for the second time as a second midfielder, the number 20 stood out again, then finished as a false nine, a role he also filled under Reinaldo Rueda in 2017, and helped win the corner for the second goal.

Coincidentally, his two best displays of this return have come as a deeper midfielder, in the 2-1 over Botafogo and the first half of the 7-1 against Sampaio Corrêa. Yet at half-time he underlined this is not his preferred role: “I speak a lot with Filipe, he knows very well where I feel comfortable playing. I am available to help him however he needs, today a bit deeper, but usually in my position.”

If he stayed as a volante, Paquetá would be competing with Pulgar and Jorginho, who is currently injured. Further forward he eases that call for Filipe Luís, who said, “I prefer him as close as possible to the area, because I know his capacity to arrive and score. He is so complete that he can play in any position and will always help us a lot.”

Flamengo return on Thursday to begin their Recopa Sudamericana tie against Lanús. The first leg is in Argentina at La Fortaleza at 21:30 Brasília time. With Jorginho still out, Paquetá remains an option to start again as a second midfielder.

Source: Globo.com