Coach Caio Júnior couldn't hide his joy after last night's 5-2 rout of Palmeiras at Maracanã. The Flamengo coach believes it was Flamengo's best performance under his leadership.

"We played well against Coritiba and Figueirense. But against a team the size of Palmeiras, they score more. It'll be an unforgettable game for the fans and all of us. We've even had thrashings during the competition, but a result like this against Palmeiras is different. It was thrilling, a game I'll never forget. We managed to neutralize Palmeiras' strengths. Some players stood out, like Ibson and Kleberson. They deserved that performance. And with this crowd, there's no way around it. They did their part, as always. We're growing in this final stretch and have everything we need to finish the championship strong."

Caio Júnior isn't interested in euphoria, even after his stellar performance. According to the coach, Flamengo will face another battle on Sunday against Cruzeiro at Mineirão Stadium.

"We won a game, and here at Flamengo, we have to be very careful when we win big because we need to work hard to avoid euphoria. We have another decisive game. Cruzeiro is struggling, they'll be under a lot of pressure, and it will be a very tense game. A win at Mineirão would be fantastic. The fans will benefit from this, because they're witnessing an electrifying championship. The only clear-cut situation so far is São Paulo in the Libertadores. The other four will be fighting for three spots."