An important victory in the first 90 minutes of the classic. By 1-0, the Mais Querido defeated Fluminense on Wednesday night (25) driven by the incessant singing of the Nation in the stands of Maracanã. In the mixed zone of the stadium after the match, defender Juan spoke to journalists and analyzed the situations of the match.

Éverton scored the winning goal in the first half. Juan came close to extending the red-and-blacks' lead in the match when he hit the post in the second half. "I tried to do a bit of everything. When I went up, I saw Arão coming in and saw he wasn't offside. I couldn't get to the point where I could get a good pass to him. At the last minute, I tried to put it over Diego (Cavalieri), and the ball hit the post," explained the number 4.

His defensive partner until the 15th minute of the match was Réver. However, the Flamengo captain had to be replaced by Rhodolfo after suffering a sprained right knee. The number 15 will undergo tests at the George Helal Training Center this Thursday for a more accurate diagnosis of the injury. Despite his initial concern, Juan was optimistic when discussing the situation after the derby.

"It's annoying. The doctor can talk about what I can, as they'll be doing tests tomorrow, but from what we've discussed, he's already ruled out a more serious injury. We hope he recovers quickly. It's been a tough week for us, Sunday with Berrío and now with Réver. But we have to show that the group is strong in these times. Whoever comes in must be up to the task and wait for him to return," he commented.

Even with the good advantage gained in the first duel, the defender emphasizes feet on the ground and total concentration in the clash that could seal Flamengo's qualification, in a match that will be held again at Maracanã.

"Every derby has a different story, always with difficult matches. We're happy to have neutralized Fluminense, who have the league's top scorer and very talented players up front. It's important that we play a very focused game next Wednesday as well and come away with the victory," he noted. "Regardless of today's game, we have to go into the next match with the same spirit to get another win," concluded the number 4.

Before the second match against Fluminense in the quarterfinals of the Conmebol Sudamericana, Mais Querido will once again focus on the Brazilian Championship, a competition in which they will play another classic this season. This Saturday (28), coach Reinaldo Rueda's team will face Vasco, with the ball rolling at Maracanã starting at 19 pm.