Flamengo ended up giving Internacional the chances. That was the assessment of coach Mauricio Barbieri after the game at Beira-Rio, where the team ended up losing 2-1 to the Rio Grande do Sul side. With the result, Flamengo dropped to fourth place in the standings, five points behind the leader, Internacional itself. 

According to the coach, the goals, especially the second one, were caused by lapses in concentration and positioning by his players. The opponent took advantage and was competent enough to score. In a press conference, the coach spoke about the team's defensive system and explained the goal conceded that gave the victory to the team from Rio Grande do Sul. 

"These are situations that require attention. We are making mistakes that we didn't make before. At the moment of the corner kick, Willian Arão came on in place of Piris da Motta, and he should have been marking. But the team was arguing in the area, and Inter took advantage, quickly taking the corner kick. It's difficult to play like this. The opponent doesn't even need to create the situation. We need to work and be more focused."

Inattention was the main theme in Barbieri's assessment. The result could have been a draw, as Flamengo created more chances than Inter and had opportunities in the final minutes. According to the coach, despite the defeat, the championship is still open and the gap to the leader didn't widen at the end of the round. Mauricio Barbieri also commented on the changes he had to make to the team due to absences and call-ups. 

"These are mistakes we have to avoid, and they made a difference at the end of the game. We had to make the changes. We came and played on equal terms. We wanted to at least get a draw, but we weren't competent enough to finish. Obviously, it's not what we wanted, but in the end, maybe we'll finish the round five points behind the leader, as we started, so we're still in the fight."

Rotation in attack was also discussed at the press conference. On Wednesday night, Barbieri started with Lincoln. As he himself explained, the choice was due to Internacional's characteristics and that this model could become a trend from now on. 

"We had already trained with Lincoln the day before. It was a decision we had already made beforehand, due to the player's speed and characteristics. Inter's defense moves forward a lot, so we understood that this would open up spaces for us to exploit. He managed to hold the ball and combine with his teammates, but he didn't have clear opportunities. He opened up spaces, like the ones Marlos took advantage of with two headers. We'll keep looking and rotating according to the characteristics of what we're going to face," concluded the coach.

Flamengo returns to the field this Saturday against Chapecoense at 21 PM at the Maracanã, for the Brazilian Championship.