In the first leg of the Libertadores quarterfinals, Flamengo ended up being defeated by Peñarol 1-0 this Thursday (19), at Maracanã. Now, Rubro-Negro will need to beat the Uruguayans, in Montevideo, by two goals difference to qualify for the semifinals.

The game    
Flamengo started the match valuing possession and pushing forward in search of an early goal. Peñarol, on the other hand, adopted a more defensive posture, waiting to counterattack.

In the 12th minute, Peñarol opened the scoring after a counterattack. Báez crossed to Maxi Silvera, who placed the ball into the middle of the six-yard box. Cabrera arrived to finish, but the ball hit the post and went in: 1-0.

Trailing, the red-and-black team continued to attack and nearly equalized in the 16th minute. Fabrício Bruno crossed into the box, Plata headed the ball, and it hit the post. Minutes later, Pulgar unleashed a powerful shot from the edge of the box, and the goalkeeper jumped to the corner to make the save.

In the second half of the first half, the Uruguayan team began to thwart Flamengo's attacking plays with harsh fouls. Damián Garcia and Javier Méndez were cautioned with yellow cards. In the 37th minute, the red-and-black team had an incredible chance to equalize. Arrascaeta crossed from the right and Bruno Henrique headed the ball unmarked, but the goalkeeper made a great save.

In the final minutes, the red-and-black pressure continued. The first came from Arrascaeta, who fired a powerful shot from the edge of the box, forcing Aguerre to palm it away for a corner. The second chance came from Plata, who crossed to Gerson at the edge of the box. The all-star player appeared alone and unleashed a powerful shot, but the ball bounced off the defense and out of bounds. Flamengo narrowly avoided tying the game before halftime.

With Wesley replacing Varela, the Rubro-Negro returned to attacking the entire second half, while Peñarol closed up in defense, waiting for counterattacks. In the 10th minute, Léo Pereira crossed to the far post, and Pulgar headed over the bar. After the play, the Chilean left the field for Alcaraz.

With his first touch, the Argentine took a shot on goal from the edge of the box, but Aguerre made the save. Looking for alternatives, coach Tite replaced Plata with Carlinhos. With the change, Bruno Henrique returns to playing a winger role, with Carlinhos serving as the key player in the box.

Pushed by the Nation, Flamengo persisted in attacking, but the ball stubbornly refused to go in. With the score in their favor, Peñarol was in no rush and did everything they could to break up the game.

In the final minutes, the Red-Blacks went all out on the attack. In the 45th minute, Bruno Henrique made a good run down the left, entered the box, and shot into the corner. The goalkeeper saved it, and on the rebound, Carlinhos attempted a bicycle kick, but it went wide. The game at Maracanã ended with a defeat for the Red-Blacks.

Week's agenda
Mengão returns to the field next Sunday (22) to face Grêmio, at 18:30 pm, at Arena do Grêmio, for the 27th round of the Brasileirão.

Flamengo
Rossi; Varela (Wesley), Fabricio Bruno, Leo Pereira and Alex Sandro (Ayrton Lucas); Erick Pulgar (Alcaraz), De La Cruz (Leo Ortiz) and Arrascaeta; Gerson, Plata (Carlinhos) and Bruno Henrique.
Coach: Tite.

Peñarol
Hold on; Milans, Guzmán Rodríguez, Javier Méndez and Maxi Oliveira; Damián Garcia, Darías (Ramírez), Cabrera (Saqueira), Leo Fernández and Jaime Báez (Lucas Hernández); Maxi Silvera (Facundo Batista).
Coach: Diego Aguirre.

Technical sheet
Flamengo 0x1 Peñarol – First leg of the Copa Libertadores Quarterfinals
Location: Maracanã, RJ
Date and time: 19/09/2024 at 19:XNUMX am
Audience: 64.396
Refereeing: Jesus Valenzuela (VEN), Jorge Urrego (VEN) and Tulio Moreno (VEN)
Yellow cards: Damián Garcia (PEN), Javier Méndez (PEN), Plata (FLA), Erick Pulgar (FLA), Aguerre (PEN)
Goal: Cabrera (12'1st half).