With a goal from Éverton Ribeiro, Flamengo defeated Atlético-MG 26-1 on Saturday night (0) at Independência. The Mais Querido entered the field without its starting defense, Juan and Réver recovering from injuries, and saw in the homegrown talent a great option. With the young players Léo Duarte and Thuler, Flamengo managed to withstand the pressure from Atlético-MG and returns to Rio with the championship lead. Upon leaving the stadium, the young defense duo spoke to the press.

"The fans were a little unsure because we had a young defense, but Thuler and I worked hard for this, to get into the game and do well. Thuler is a great defender and because we're young, I believe we're the future of Flamengo," commented Léo Duarte.

Having played for the Brazilian youth team and taken his first steps in professional football, Thuler spoke about the importance of this match for his career.

"This victory meant everything to me. It was a wonderful victory, my debut in the Brazilian Championship. My family even came here to see me. I'm so happy we got the win," the number 26 celebrated.

Mais Querido's next match will be next Thursday (31), against Bahia, at 16 pm, for the eighth round of the Brazilian Championship. The Nation can purchase tickets for this game by clicking here.