With a wealth of history on the soccer field, the Flamengo vs. Palmeiras classic will take place next Thursday (January 30.01) in a gymnasium. At Tijuca Tênis Clube, the two teams will face off at 20 p.m. for the 21st round of the New Basketball Brazil (NBB). To keep Flamengo at the top of the competition, coach José Neto hopes to repeat their first-round victory.

"Flamengo vs. Palmeiras is a classic. Of course, even more so in football. We had a tough match against them in São Paulo. We have to play hard and make the home court prevail. The team needs to be prepared to withstand the pressure from the opponent," said the coach.

Returning to the court this January after nearly eight months out due to injury, Marquinhos is confident of a Flamengo victory. He knows what he needs to show during the match for Flamengo to emerge victorious.

"I'm very optimistic. Our team has been playing well and we've achieved this ten-game winning streak. I hope that in the next game we can win again. We need to come out strong, defend strongly and attack consciously," said the NBB 5 MVP.