Botafogo needs a historic turnaround to stay alive in the Copa Sudamericana. The black and white team hosts Cienciano this Thursday (20), at 9:30 pm, in Engenhão, for the second leg of the round of 16, looking for a reaction after being beaten 6-1 in the first leg, played at Peruvian altitude. To advance in regulation time, you need to win by six or more goals difference.
Botafogo bets on a miracle to overcome Cienciano and stay alive in the South American Championship
Botafogo needs a historic turnaround to stay alive in the Copa Sudamericana. The black and white team hosts Cienciano this Thursday (20), at 9:30 pm, in Engenhão, for the second leg of the round of 16, looking for a reaction after being...
To advance in regulation time, you need to win by six or more goals difference. The board made a decision last Tuesday night that moved the club behind the scenes.
- Franclim Carvalho was fired after a sequence of games below expectations, and the team will be led on an interim basis by Rodrigo Bellão, coach of the under-20 team.
- The black and white mission, however, goes beyond a simple reassembly.
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The board made a decision last Tuesday night that moved the club behind the scenes. Franclim Carvalho was fired after a sequence of games below expectations, and the team will be led on an interim basis by Rodrigo Bellão, coach of the under-20 team.
The black and white mission, however, goes beyond a simple reassembly. In Conmebol competitions, no team has managed to reverse a match in the second leg after losing the first duel by five or more goals difference. A victory for Botafogo by five goals takes the decision to penalties, while any result lower than that margin eliminates the team from the competition.
Botafogo arrives at the decisive clash under pressure and looking to recover after three matches without winning. Now, under the interim command of Rodrigo Bellão, the Rio team is trying to leave the turbulent moment behind and stage a historic reaction in front of their fans.
In their most recent match, the Rio club was defeated 1-0 by Vitória, at Barradão, in the Brazilian Championship, and now needs a high-level performance to try to achieve an unprecedented turnaround.
RETURN Defender Justino and left-back Marçal are back after serving suspensions in the last round of the Brazilian Championship. The first should form the defense duo with Nahuel Ferraresi, while the second will probably be an option on the bench, as Alex Telles is the absolute holder of the role.
Coach Rodrigo Bellão must play Botafogo with maximum strength. With the exception of Lucas Monzón's departure and Justino's entry, the tendency is for the black and white team to enter the field with the same lineup used in the defeat to Vitória.
Experienced midfielder Allan could increase the coaching staff's list of options after recovering from surgery on his right thigh, which has sidelined him for the last three months. On the other hand, defender Kaio Pantaleão is away to continue treatment for a serious injury to his left knee.
Striker Júnior Santos, one of the leaders of the black and white squad, regretted the performance presented in the first match and highlighted that the group is focused on "honoring the shirt".
"We are embarrassed. For the score it was and for the disappointment that the fans had. We didn't play well, that's the reality. Now it's time to work, because we need to turn things around. We have to honor this shirt. The fans are right to demand it."
NO VICTORYJust like Botafogo, Cienciano arrives after a round without a victory in its national league. The team led by Horacio Melgarejo was unable to repeat the good football presented in the South American Championship and drew 0-0 with Deportivo Garcilaso in their most recent match for the Peruvian Championship.
Among Cienciano's highlights are strikers Matías Succar, who scored three goals in the first match against Botafogo, and Neri Bandiera, who found the net twice against the Cariocas. Midfielder Alejandro Hohberg is also considered a dangerous weapon for the Cusco city team.
TECHNICAL SHEET BOTAFOGO
BOTAFOGO - Warleson; Vitinho, Nahuel Ferraresi, Justino and Alex Telles; Huguinho, Cristian Medina and Danilo; Álvaro Montoro, Arthur Cabral and Matheus Martins. Coach: Rodrigo Bellão (interim).
CIENCIANO - Italo Espinoza; Carlos Cabello, Maximiliano Amondarain, Kevin Becerra and Marcos Martinich; Gerson Barreto, Juan Romagnoli and Alejandro Hohberg; Cristian Souza, Matías Succar and Neri Bandiera. Coach: Horacio Melgarejo.
REFEREE - Juan Benítez (PAR).
TIME - 9:30 pm.
LOCATION - Nilton Santos, in Rio.
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