Player talk: Hércules eyes Vasco derby, Fluminense focused on quarters | OneFootball

Fluminense face Vasco on Saturday afternoon (1st), at 5:30 p.m., at the Maracanã, in the first leg of the Copa do Brasil round of 16. On the eve of the match, defensive midfielder Hércules spoke about expectations for the derby and stressed the importance of the team staying focused to take an advantage in the tie.

In official material released by the club’s communications department, the midfielder highlighted that the Tricolor know the difficulties they will face against their rivals, but said the group is focused on getting a positive result to decide qualification with an edge.

The midfielder is expected to be one of the key players in the team coached by Luis Zubeldía for the derby. Fluminense come into the match under pressure after a run of draws in the Brazilian Championship and are trying to start the Copa do Brasil knockout stage with a good result to take an advantage into the decisive clash.

The second leg of the round of 16 will be played next Wednesday, when the team advancing to the quarter-finals of the competition will be decided.

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