After the regenerative work carried out by the athletes who started the match against Grêmio last Thursday (13), Diego was present at the Victorino Chermont Press Room, at Ninho do Urubu, to give a press conference. In view of the setback in the last match, the midfielder once again highlighted that the thinking is game by game, and that what matters now is this Sunday's challenge against Cruzeiro, before thinking about the distance to the leader Corinthians.

Despite the negative result, Diego praised the team's performance against Grêmio. The number 35 analyzed the team's gradual improvement in chemistry, highlighting the quality of the new players who are at the disposal of coach Zé Ricardo, praising Geuvânio and Everton Ribeiro. The great form of Paolo Guerrero, who will return to the squad for this Sunday's match (16) after serving a suspension, also received reverence from the midfielder.

I haven't stopped to think about it yet. Right now, we have to play our championship. Obviously, it's natural for everyone to talk about Corinthians. After every game, win or lose, teams end up talking about them. Right now, I'm not worried about stopping Corinthians; the time will come to think about it, but right now we have to focus on our performance, on winning matches. That's the most important thing.

It's going to be a very tough game. Our goal with a potential victory isn't to get closer to Corinthians, but to do our job. Cruzeiro is a very well-balanced team, difficult to face, especially playing at Mineirão in front of their fans. We'll study their team more closely and strive to put in a good performance.

This mentality ends up being natural. It's more prevalent in the press, and this insistence is understandable. However, we know we won't get a victory worth 12 points. With our attitude, we'll have the authority to talk about reaching the top. It's natural to focus on facing the next opponent. We'll face Cruzeiro, a very strong team and a difficult one to face at their home ground. If we don't focus solely on this match, we'll end up hurting ourselves.

Of course, no player will be able to remain a key player in every game. There were occasional mistakes, but we played an excellent game. Grêmio defended very well, and we still had 20 shots. Their goal was an opportunistic one from Luan, who also had a bit of luck. We built a lot of chances, but we weren't as efficient as them. We could have finished better, but in terms of performance, I didn't see anything different from the last few games.

Even though we're working at a high level, there are things that require practice. Geuvânio debuted yesterday, and Everton Ribeiro played well against us. The quality is there; we're a team targeted and studied by our opponents. The organization has been trying to train and practice, but of course, understanding develops through the matches.

He's truly having a great time. In our official debut, I ventured my guess for him about how many goals he would score this season. He's our reference, a player who carries a lot of weight on the team. It's worth remembering Damião's dedication when needed, as is Vizeu's, who came on yesterday, but Guerrero's importance is immense, and it's a privilege to have him. I will do whatever I can to help him perform even better.