It was a special night for Flamengo's defense. This Saturday (26), the Most Beloved went to the Independência stadium, in Belo Horizonte (MG), and faced Atlético-MG for the Brazilian Championship. Needing a victory to return to the lead, the red-black team fought, remained firm in defense and managed to win 1-0 in a beautiful play by Vinicius Junior and Everton Ribeiro.

Despite key absences, Flamengo managed to show great defensive consistency and put in a strong performance at the back. Besides Diego Alves's fine saves, which were a key factor in the result in Minas Gerais, the defensive duo of youngsters Matheus Thuler and Léo Duarte also caught the eye.

"I believe we always work for the opportunity, but we don't wait for it. I was their age, too, and my first game was at the old Independência. We tried to pass on some experience. During the match, we sometimes noticed they were a little nervous, but they behaved very well and trained very well. Maurício (Barbieri) managed to explain things very well. We managed to get one player to come on, another in another match, and maintain a strong defensive line. When it adds up like that, we're very happy. Everything went well, we scored a goal, and we went home happy," Diego analyzed.

The number 1 also commented on the good form of the Rubro-Negro defense, which has been playing well and conceding few goals this season. Despite the player changes, Diego Alves stated that Maurício Barbieri's work has helped maintain the strength of the defense.

"We noticed a change in the defensive system when Maurício took over. When you get the whole team to defend, it becomes easier. Today, we do it more compactly, with two lines of four or with a defensive midfielder protecting the defense. It all depends on the game and the circumstances. I think that, regardless of the player and their characteristics, the important thing is the team's tactical positioning," the goalkeeper added.

Flamengo returns to the field next Thursday (31), when they face Bahia, at 16 pm, at Maracanã. Tickets for this duel are already on sale on the website flamengo.com.br/tickets