Flamengo won again on Saturday night (21), when they faced Botafogo in the Brazilian Championship at Maracanã. With goals from Matheus Savio and Lucas Paquetá, the Mais Querido beat their rivals 2-0 and remain in the lead of the competition. After the game, coach Maurício Barbieri gave a press conference and spoke about the great performance of the red-black team.

"We scored early, but I think Botafogo changed their approach after the second. We can't forget that we were up against an opponent who gave Corinthians a hard time away from home, a World Cup coach. We need to analyze things from that perspective. The game was open in the first half, and that favored them. In the second half, we managed to have more possession, created more chances, and it was a more lucid match, but we couldn't score. We need to highlight our fighting spirit and grit. They're a team that battles hard, with a lot of intensity. That's why the fans applauded us in the last game and today as well. We have many positive things and others to adjust for the rest of the championship. Results are crucial. Much has been said about August because of the difficult run, but we achieved that run. Every team in Brazil would love to be in our shoes. We can't forget our current games, which are very difficult, against tough opponents," analyzed Maurício.

Scorer of a goal and an assist against Botafogo, Matheus Savio had a great performance and was instrumental in the red-and-black victory. "Savio has a lot of quality and was performing well in training. We've already tested him in a few positions, and with Marlos out, he became an option. I'm happy with his performance. It shows what a good squad we have, which maintains its high level even with different players. We talked to him about having the peace of mind to do his job, as he had my confidence. He's a player who hasn't played in a long time, so he also performed well physically," said the coach.

Secret? For Barbieri, Flamengo is in a good moment because they're always so focused. "The secret has been to approach every game as a decisive one, to have a very strong team. Sometimes, we talk a lot about one area, like the defense. We have Réver and Léo playing very well and with a high number of wins, Juan and Thuler, who have also been very important. We have a good squad that is always ready to contribute; we're always eager," he stated.

"The fans are crucial to our current situation; the team is much stronger with them by our side. We're sorry we weren't able to deliver all the results they deserve. They applauded us again today, just like last Wednesday. It's always an extra motivation," Maurício Barbieri praised.

Fla's next match will be on Wednesday (25), at 21:45 pm, against Santos at Vila Belmiro (SP). The match will be valid for the fifteenth round of the Brasileirão.