Flamengo debuts at the Club World Cup against Saudi team Al Hilal

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If they win, Flamengo will be just one game away from winning the second club world championship, after a 42-year fast.

This Tuesday afternoon (7th) will be decisive for Flamengo, who will play against Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia) in the semifinal of the Club World Cup, in Morocco. The Rubro-Negro carioca depends on the victory to advance to the final next Saturday (11), against the winner of the other semi, between Real Madrid (Spain) and Al Ahly (Egypt).

The Brazilian and Saudi teams play at 4 pm (Brasília time) at the Ibn Batouta stadium, in the city of Tangier, in northern Morocco. If they win, Flamengo will be just one game away from winning the second club world championship, after a 42-year fast.

The two teams already faced each other in the 2019 edition of the World Cup, when Flamengo triumphed 3-1, qualifying for the final against Liverpool. The positive retrospective of the Rubro-Negro doesn’t say much for coach Vitor Pereira, who wants the squad prepared for a close dispute, without favoritism.

“The biggest mistake we can make is thinking that we will have some ease in this game. [O Al Hilal] It is a strong team from an individual and collective point of view. It has strength and quality, and that is why they continue year after year to remain at this level”, evaluated the Flamengo coach, during a press conference on Monday (6).

Defender David Luiz echoed the Portuguese coach and argued that the team is fully focused on the debut, and not on a possible final against Real Madrid on Saturday (11).

“I think that [Al Hilal] It is a very qualified team, it has shown its strength in recent years, it has great players, for us it is a very difficult opponent, we have to be aware of that from the first minute, said Luiz.

The expectation is that Flamengo will take the field this afternoon with Santos, Matheuzinho, David Luiz, Léo Pereira, and Filipe Luís; Thiago Maia, Gerson,, Arrascaeta and Everton Ribeiro; Gabigol and Peter.

Al Hilal, current champions of Asia, will enter the field without one of its main stars: defensive midfielder Kanno, sent off in the victory over Wydad Casablanca, on penalties (5 to 3), last Saturday (4), which guaranteed the Saudi team in the semi against Flamengo. Kanno scored the equalizing goal for the Saudi team in the second half of regular time. The game went into overtime, and then went into penalties.

In the Saudi team, commanded by Argentine coach Ramón Díaz, there are old acquaintances of the red-black fans: striker Michael and Colombian defensive midfielder Cuéllar.

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Flamengo debuts at the Club World Cup this Tuesday