Flamengo, with its millions of fans and a dream team, will face an Athletico Paranaense eager for greatness in the third consecutive final between Brazilian teams in the Copa Libertadores, this Saturday (5:00 p.m.) at the Monumental Stadium in Guayaquil, Ecuador.
Dressed on both sides in the colors red and black, fans parade through the streets of Guayaquil before today’s match at the Monumental Stadium, with capacity for about 60,000 spectators.
The road to here was smooth sailing for the giant from Rio de Janeiro. He comfortably defeated heavyweight rivals and could win his third title of the most important championship in America with a payroll that combines pearls of Brazilian soccer with seasoned veterans in Europe.
For the FuracaoInstead, the path was tortuous and today two of its figures are especially entrusted to win a Copa Libertadores for the first time: the multi-champion DT Luiz Felipe Scolari Y Fernandinhothe voice of experience among a mostly young squad.
– The luxury –
With the defeat in the 2021 final still fresh (against Palmeiras in Montevideo), Mengão mobilized several members of what is considered the largest fan base in the world -40 million accredited by FIFA- to the economic capital of Ecuador.
They are mostly men with clothing and tattoos that pay homage to the seven-time Brasileirao champion and who dream of seeing DT Dorival Júnior hoisting the trophy alongside his galactic-level disciples, the privilege of having a checkbook open to big hires:
From the goal guarded by Santos, Olympic gold in 2016, to the forward duo of Gabigol and Pedro, the revelation of Brazilian football. Not without first going through champions in Europe like David Luiz or Filipe Luís. Also by creatives Éverton Ribeiro and Giorgian de Arrascaeta, internationals with Brazil and Uruguay, respectively.
The specialized portal Transfermarkt calculates in $146 million the total value of all your players.
With what is considered the best squad in South America, Flamengo has walked in the 12 games so far in the tournament, with 11 wins and a draw.
Bruno Henrique and Rodrigo Caio will miss the duel due to injury, while Arturo Vidal trains in Guayaquil after days of absence due to problems with his right ankle.
– The king and the bishop –
Paranaense will seek the feat with a king from the bench and a bishop on the pitch, keys in the agonizing victory against Estudiantes de La Plata in the round of 16 and against Palmeiras, the current champion, in the semifinals.
Although in smaller numbers than Flamengo, the faithful of DT Luiz Felipe Scolari raise their voices with chants in Guayaquil before what could be their first Libertadores title.
Of win, Felipão would achieve his third Libertadores as coach, becoming the second who raised it the most along with the Argentine Osvaldo Zubeldía. One step higher, with four, is Carlos Bianchi, also an Argentine.
“I am happy to live this moment, defining a Copa Libertadores” with a team that “started small” and “made it big”Scolari said.
Of the starting eleven that is expected for this afternoon, only four players are over 25 years old: Pedro Henrique (27), Alex Santana (27), Thiago Heleno (34) and Fernandinho (37), the darling of the house who left being a teenager and came back wanting to immortalize himself.
The midfielder is the only survivor of the Libertadores final that Paranaense lost in 2005 against São Paulo.
After 17 years away, in which he came to wear the Manchester City captain’s band by decision of Pep Guardiola, he returned to his origin.
From their roles, Scolari and the midfielder want to put the cherry on the cake for a two-decade project focused on the construction of sports venues and the search for talent to sell to Europe. Paranaense has only one league in Brazil and its squad is worth $72.3 million.
PROBABLE LINEUPS
Flamingo: Saints; Rodinei, David Luiz, Léo Pereira, Filipe Luis; Joao Gomes, Thiago Maia; Everton Ribeiro, Giorgian de Arrascaeta; Pedro and Gabriel Barbosa. DT: Dorival Junior.
Athletico Paranaense: bento; Khellven, Pedro Henrique, Heleno, Abner Vinícius; Fernandinho, Hugo Moura; Agustin Canobbio, David Terans, Vitinho; Victor Roque. DT: Luiz Felipe Scolari.
