Focus on the Libertadores, Flamengo and Palmeiras struggle in the Brazilian league

Due to physical, technical, and mental aspects, Flamengo and Palmeiras stumbled in the Brasileirão round that separated the first and second legs of the Libertadores semifinals. Amidst travels, exhausting and highly competitive matches in the continental tournament, Flamengo lost to Fortaleza, and Palmeiras drew at home with Cruzeiro. The opportunity for the rubro-negro to take the lead on Saturday slipped away as they failed to defeat one of the teams in the relegation zone. The scenario would have been even more catastrophic if not for the side effects of Palmeiras’ trip to Quito, where they lost 3-0 to LDU, resulting in the draw against Cruzeiro. The gap between the two teams is now just one point with nine games left to play. In the case of Flamengo, they experienced a clear offensive struggle highlighted by the absence of Pedro, who fractured his arm against Racing. Apart from suspensions and injuries, Filipe Luís fielded the best team available against Fortaleza, which proved insufficient. Now, they travel to Argentina with uncertainties to secure their qualification. The advantage is slim (1-0), as stated by the coach himself, ‘symbolic’. Palmeiras had a rough night. On Thursday, they were crushed by LDU, facing a mountain to climb in the return leg. Before that, they had to face Cruzeiro. Abel Ferreira’s post-match press conference revealed that he could only give the pre-game talk against the Minas Gerais team on Sunday morning. The sequence of results for Palmeiras could have been worse if Gustavo Gomez had been sent off in the first half. Fortunately, it was Cruzeiro who ended up with ten men after Fabrício Bruno received his second yellow card in the final minutes. Abel also fielded his presumed starting eleven. The outcome could have been different if not for a crucial save by Carlos Miguel in the closing moments. The upcoming round of the Brasileirão on paper seems to be a smooth one for the two teams. Flamengo will host Sport, while Palmeiras will visit Juventude. However, the leaders’ stumbles raise questions about the league’s outcome post-Libertadores semis. Qualification will boost morale. Elimination will escalate the pressure. Impact on the lower half Furthermore, both teams will have to navigate through the upcoming FIFA dates, where each will make up for postponed matches. Flamengo against Sport and Palmeiras against Santos.