September 18, 2024, 8:58 PM
September 18, 2024, 8:58 PM
With a goal from midfielder Lima Minutes before the curtain fell, Fluminense won 1-0 against Atlético Mineiro this Wednesday at the Maracanã in the first round of the quarter-finals of the 2024 Copa Libertadores.
Although he started on the reserve bench, The 28-year-old midfielder gave them the three points the Cariocas with a devastating header in the 88th minute that brought a little joy to a game with few goal-scoring chances.
The fight between two Brazilian Cup champions, the ‘Flu’ last year and the ‘Galo’ in 2013, will be defined next Wednesday in Belo HorizonteThe winner will face the winner of the series between River Plate and Colo Colo, who tied 1-1 in the first leg on Tuesday in Santiago de Chile.
The match had less action than expected for two teams that have real dangers on their attacking fronts.
The tricolor rearguard, led by the experienced Thiago Silva, injured at the end of the first half, kept the black and white beasts away from Fábio’s goal, Hulk and Paulinho.
Despite the carethe veteran captain of the visiting team searched for his goal with a pair of left-footed shots from medium distance (39, 48) that demanded the reflexes of the ‘1’.
Securing the rearguard has been an effort by the former Brazilian coach Menezes has been in charge since his arrival in July at the Fluminense dugout to replace Fernando Diniz, who was responsible for the club from the Rio de Janeiro neighbourhood of Laranjeira winning its first Libertadores title.
In the 2024 Brasileirao that area has played tricks on them, preventing them from moving away from the threat of relegation.
But if there was security behind, There was no further progress ahead, except for those scored by Colombian striker Jhon Arias, who was decisive not only for his speed and dribbling skills, but also for his fine passes.
In the epilogue of the first 45 minutes, The Colombian national team player was able to open the account (43) after receiving a long pass from defender Thiago Santos and with a touch he unsettled goalkeeper Everson, but the ball rolled freely through the Mineiro area without any teammate pushing it into the net.
Fluminense’s artillery, in the quarterfinals after eliminating Gremio from Porto Alegre, had an injection of spirit and danger when in the 64th minute the Argentine Germán Cano stepped onto the pitch for the first time in a month and a half.
Author of 40 goals in 59 games last season, The 36-year-old centre-forward has suffered a number of injuries throughout 2024 that have hampered his offensive production: he has only scored five goals in 31 matches.
His reunion with the Rio ‘torcida’ was of little usewho received him with pure applause, because minutes after his entry the ‘Galo’, directed by the Argentine Gabriel Milito, took possession.
The domain was as sterile as the one the locals once had, a problem that has been recurrent in the local championship for Mineiroqualified for the quarterfinals after dispatching San Lorenzo of Argentina in the round of 16.
Although it has a powerful squad, in which for the cup clash Argentine Matías Zaracho was absent due to injury, Key in midfield, Belo Horizonte’s eleven are struggling to harness their talents and get out of the middle of the table in the Brasileirao.
And her infertility was paid for dearly shortly before the end.in a union of substitutes: Keno overflowed on the left and centered to the heart of the area, where Lima bent Everson’s hands with a very strong header that could well be worth qualification.
