There's no escaping it. In knockout matches, the team that takes the lead in the first leg always has to answer questions about how to play in the second leg: attacking and seeking qualification once and for all, or holding the game on defense and trying to secure a spot by playing defensively. At Flamengo, the idea is simple: a little of both. For the players and coaching staff, the watchword is intelligence.

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Coach Rogério Lourenço, for example, emphasizes the importance of capitalizing on the advantage in the rules, but contrary to what many might expect, he says the team can't relax with the possibility of qualifying with a draw. Quite the opposite. He emphasizes that it's crucial to score a goal to further complicate Corinthians' situation.

"Our first goal was to win, then to not concede a goal, and we achieved that. According to the Carioca rules, for example, we had the best record in the points-based competition, and Botafogo won. We have to know how to play by the rules. We know that if we score one goal away from home, they'll have to score three. It's important to be aware of this. We can't play defensively and forget to score goals too," he explained.

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One of the red-and-black manager's bets to surprise the São Paulo team at Pacaembu Stadium is Emperor Adriano. The Gávea's number 10 had a great performance in the first leg at Maracanã and hopes to shine again next Wednesday.

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"I'm seeing Adriano becoming more and more motivated, working hard and this is fundamental for him and also for our team, because he helps us a lot," he concluded.