Times face each other again in a decisive duel of the tournament
After more than a month at a standstill, the Copa do Brasil is back to rock the Wednesday night of football. At the Arena da Baixada, in Curitiba, Atlético-PR receives Flamengo, at 9:30 pm (Brasilia time), in the first leg of the semifinal of the Copa do Brasil. The return will be next Wednesday (27), at Maracanã. On the other side of the bracket, Atlético-MG and Fortaleza face off at the same time.
Atlético-GO reaches the semifinals of the Copa do Brasil after having gone through Avaí, Atlético-GO and Santos in the previous phases. Hurricane tries to repeat the success of two years ago, when they overcame Rubro-Negro from Rio on penalties in the quarter-finals and won the title of the Copa do Brasil, then unprecedented for the club.
Flamengo, on the other hand, had to go through Coritiba, ABC and Grêmio to reach a semifinal. The club is three-time champion of the tournament: they won in 1990, 2006 and 2013, when they overcame their rivals this Wednesday in the decision, with a score of 3-1 in the aggregate.
For the match soon, coach Alberto Valentim will not have defensive midfielders Christian and Richard, suspended, and forward Bissoli, who cannot play in the Copa do Brasil, having already defended Cruzeiro in this year’s edition. Erick and Léo Cittadini are the favorites to occupy the midfield. And Renato Kayzer gets another chance up front. The tendency is for the 3-4-3, with three defenders, to be maintained.
On the red-black carioca side, at the same time it counts on the return of Isla, Rodrigo Caio and Pedro. The full-back and defender will be the holders, while the forward will be an option on the bench. Coach Renato Gaúcho is still without Arrascaeta, Bruno Henrique and David Luiz, all injured. With that, the tendency is for Andreas Pereira to act in the midfield alongside Everton Ribeiro, while Willian Arão and Thiago Maia make the duo of defensive midfielders.
