One of the most experienced players in the squad, captain Fábio Luciano, stated that he expects a strong performance from Flamengo against Grêmio on Thursday at Maracanã. The player urged seriousness and said the group knows it can perform much better than it has been.

"Against the leader, a team that concedes few goals, we'll take it as seriously as possible. We need to get back to using our home advantage and harnessing the power of our fans. Caio talked to us and gave us confidence. We know we can perform better and achieve the results we've planned."

Knowing the difficulties that Flamengo will face in the next Brasileirão games, Fábio Luciano believes that Thursday's match will be very important for the psychological aspect, as it would put the red-black team back in the fight for the top spots.

"We're only thinking about Grêmio. Our run is tough, but if we get results, we'll climb the table. Our opponent is motivated, but if we win, our confidence will be even greater. The important thing is that we know we can do well against Grêmio. From second place onwards, everything is tied up. A win could put us in the top four, and then we'll aim to climb even higher."

Flamengo's captain hopes the team will repeat the strong performance they put in this morning's training session at Gávea on Thursday. The starters defeated the reserves 6-0.

"It's good that the team is doing well collectively, with good movement and lots of goals. Hopefully we can carry that spirit into the match against Grêmio. We may not find it as easy in the match, but it gives us hope for a good performance."