Flemish won this Thursday in Rio de Janeiro by 2-0 Bolívar in the first leg of the round of 16 of the CONMEBOL Libertadoresa result that barely gives any relief to the Brazilians who were hoping for a more comfortable score to decide the classification at the altitude of La Paz.
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Luiz Araújo opened the scoring for Flamengo with a goal in the 29th minute and Leo Pereira extended the lead almost at the end of the meeting.
Flamengo dominated the match at the Maracaná stadium with a constant offensive but many wasted goal opportunities.
Forced to defend themselves, the team led by Argentine Flabio Lobatto rarely approached the goal of Argentine Agustín Rossi.
Attempts by Paraguayan Alfio Oviedo, Ramiro Vaca, Fábio Gomes and Yomar Rocha gave hope to the Bolivians, who were more offensive in the second half and made it difficult for the Cariocas to extend the lead.
There were several Flamengo players who they shone in the commitment, as Luiz Araujothe Uruguayan Giorgio de Arrascaeta, Pedro and Gabriel Barbosa ‘Gabigol’.
Also Lampe stood out whose agility prevented Bolívar from being thrashed like the last time they set foot at the Maracaná, also in the Libertadores, but in the group stage, when Flamengo won 4-0.
Flamengo’s first chance came just as the ball was starting to roll with a corner kick from Luiz Araújo that José Sagredo almost converted into an own goal for Bolívar.
The strong marking of the Bolivians did not prevent De Arrascaeta from breaking away in a counterattack just a few minutes later and scaring Lampe in the goal, with a shot that bounced off the goalkeeper and that Gerson ended up wasting.
Brazil’s most popular club, Libertadores champions in 2019 and 2022, was even given a scare in the first half by Oviedo, in a play by the Paraguayan striker that Fabrizio Bruno ended up stopping.
The smile came for those led by former coach ‘Tite’ in the 29th minute, with a great goal by Luiz Araújo after a play started by De Arrascaeta and continued by Pedro.
The latter, current top scorer in the Brazilian Championship, had a great opportunity to extend the lead for Flamengo in a counterattack in which a clear goal was seen, but it ended up being frustrated by a thigh problem that forced him to leave the field.
Gabigol and Carlinhos, replacements for Pedro and Chilean Erick Pulgar, also tried to extend the lead in the second period.
The opportunities for the Cariocas multiplied with the thirst of a Flamengo in need of goals to arrive more relaxed in La Paz, where the more than 3,600 meters of altitude are their worst rival.
The advantage was achieved Leo Pereira scored almost at the end of the match with a header after a corner kick taken by Luiz Araújo.
With Thursday’s victory, Flamengo can draw or lose by a maximum of one goal in the Bolivian capital next week, when the return match that will determine qualification for the quarterfinals of the Libertadores takes place.
