Fluminense secured a key 1-0 victory over Internacional in the 30th round of the Brazilian Championship at Maracanã on Saturday (25/10). The lone goal came from Samuel Xavier, bringing the Tricolor closer to the G6. Both teams' coaches addressed the match in post-game press conferences.
The match at Maracanã started intensely, with Fluminense pressuring Internacional in the opening minutes. Goalkeeper Ivan made three crucial saves for the Tricolor in under five minutes. The pace slowed in the first half, but at the 32nd minute, Lucho Acosta hit the post. The scoreline opened at the 15th minute of the second half, as John Kennedy passed to Serna, who found Samuel Xavier at the edge of the box. The right-back curled a shot into Ivan's bottom corner, securing the 1-0 win.
With the result, Fluminense rose to 7th in the standings with 44 points, just two behind Botafogo, the top of the G6. Internacional stayed 15th with 35 points, tied with Ceará but trailing on goal difference. In the second half, Flu pushed for more, while Colorado had a chance, but the score held.
Coach Fernando Diniz Zubeldía emphasized the role of full-backs in the team's tactics. “For us, the full-backs are very important because, depending on how the opponent organizes, we can position them more open or closed, stretch one and hold the other, work inside… It depends on the circumstances,” he said. He praised Samuel Xavier: “We understood that Samuel could attack and defend inside to open space for the wingers. Samuel interprets that situation very well”.
Internacional's coach Ramón Díaz conceded the opponent's dominance. “They clearly outplayed us. They deserved to score in the first minutes. The team didn't recover physically. We had three matches. And in our conditions, we had absences,” he stated. He stressed the need for change: “What I want is for the team to regain impetus, determination, courage. It seems the team hasn't found the attitude to face this kind of games”.
Fluminense faces Ceará on Wednesday (29/10) at Maracanã, 7 PM, in a delayed 12th-round match. Internacional hosts Atlético-MG on Sunday (2/11) at 6:30 PM.