Despite a performance that didn't delight all the fans who were hoping for a big win, Flamengo fulfilled their mission on Monday night and won an important 2-0 victory against Esperance, overcoming the anxiety of the opening game and leading the group ahead of the match against Chelsea.
The team led by coach Filipe Luís was absolutely dominant throughout the first half and applied highly efficient pressure to the opposition, who rarely managed to get past midfield. The novelty was the presence of Joringho, who set up a three-man backline with support from Pulgar most of the time.
Another feature was the care Flamengo took at times when a full-back advanced as a winger to allow numerical superiority in the final third of the pitch. In this way, Filipe Luís' side opened the scoring, when Jorginho found Varela on the right and the cross was met by Luiz Araújo to set up Arrascaeta for the opener.
During the second half, Flamengo ended up suffering more from the lower intensity and allowed Belalli to be in a better position to show up, taking two chances of enormous danger, hitting a low shot that required the only great save from goalkeeper Rossi during the game.
However, Flamengo's technical superiority once again made a big impact and the team from Rio de Janeiro managed to secure a 2-0 victory thanks to a move created by Jorginho, who provided a good pass for Luiz Araújo to turn his body and hit the ball into the corner. Belalli tried to break through the opposition's defensive system, but his Esperánce teammates were no help.
Flamengo can give Chelsea a hard time
Flamengo have the same 4-2-3-1 that Chelsea used for many parts of last season, and they also like to use a lot of depth to make runs down the flanks. The Blues will need a lot of attention, especially with the presence of Wesley, the winger who provides the balance for Filipe Luís' side.