Optimism and confidence. On Thursday night, at the Maracanã, Flamengo drew 1-1 with Cruzeiro in the first leg of the Copa do Brasil final. Despite taking the lead, coach Reinaldo Rueda's team conceded an equalizer to Cruzeiro in the final moments of the second half.

At the end of the 90 minutes that opened the match, midfielder Diego was present in the stadium's mixed zone, where he spoke to journalists. The Flamengo team's overwhelming dominance was highlighted by the number 35, emphasizing that Flamengo deserved the victory more than the visiting team. 

"It's still a good result, which keeps us alive in the title race. But based on what we did today, the way we dominated the game, we expected a victory. It's worth remembering that we faced a great, well-organized team like Cruzeiro. But everything is still open. We're going to Belo Horizonte looking for the win," commented the star player.

The game plan has not yet been defined by the coach, considering the distance to the final and the upcoming matches in other competitions. However, Diego believes there will be no drastic change in the team's identity when playing away from home, maintaining the offensive style characteristic of Rueda's teams and the club itself.

"We have a way of playing. We saw today our ball possession, objectivity, depth, speed – that's our way of playing, always defending compactly. I believe we won't deviate much from that. But of course, our coach will prepare us for the game and, until then, we will have a very clear strategy," he said.

Suspended for the first leg, Flamengo will be able to count on Guerrero's presence in the return match, a fact celebrated by Diego. "We played a great game, the players who came in did their job, but Guerrero's importance is undeniable. With him back, we will be even stronger," he praised.

Despite focusing on the final, the most important game is always the next one, according to the midfielder. "We don't have much time to rest. The Brazilian Championship is coming up, where we want to climb the table, and the Copa Sudamericana. So I think the best way is to take it one game at a time. We have a large squad, which makes it possible to rotate players. But now it's a break from the Copa do Brasil and we'll do our best in these next games. The time will come to think about Cruzeiro again," he concluded.