When Brazil‘s most popular club Flamengo hosted Paraguayan giants Olimpia last week in the Copa Libertadores round of 16 first leg, all eyes were on the Mengao‘s lethal attacking duo of Bruno Henrique and Gabriel ‘Gabigol‘ Barbosa. Both players have been instrumental in Flamengo‘s recent renaissance under manager Paulo Sousa, who sets his team up to get the best out of his "two bullets" in attack.
Could Bruno and Gabigol lead Flamengo to another historic continental title? Or would Olimpia‘s stubborn defense thwart two of South America‘s most feared strikers?
The Match Itself – Tight Encounter Decided By Moment of Magic
As expected, playing at the iconic Maracana stadium gave Flamengo the territorial advantage right from kick-off. They dominated possession at 64% throughout the match according to Opta statistics. However, breaking down Olimpia‘s disciplined and organized defensive shape proved difficult.
The first half finished goalless, despite Flamengo creating a couple of promising openings. According to detailed match statistics from Sofascore, they managed six shots to Olimpia‘s two in the first 45 minutes. But surprisingly, they couldn‘t seriously test Olimpia‘s goalkeeper Gastón Olveira.
At half time, there were even some concerns amongst the famously demanding Flamengo fans that their team may end up becoming frustrated by the Paraguayans‘ stubborn resistance.
But in the 69th minute, a moment of magic from Bruno Henrique settled the tie. An incisive counter-attacking move saw Gabigol cleverly slip the ball through to Bruno Henrique in the box. In an instant, Bruno turned his marker and rifled an unstoppable shot into the top corner. 1-0 Flamengo.
This piece of individual brilliance from the 31-year-old winger was enough to give Flamengo a narrow advantage to take to Paraguay for the second leg. But it certainly wasn‘t a vintage attacking performance from the Brazilians on the balance of play, especially the usually prolific Gabigol.
Bruno Henrique – Back to His Unplayable Best
While Gabigol had a more subdued performance by his sky-high standards, the same cannot be said of his fellow forward. Bruno Henrique was simply sensational all night, proving he is back to his unplayable best after an injury-hit 12 months.
Before picking up an injury in 2021, Bruno Henrique was undoubtedly one of the most dangerous attackers in all of South America. Blistering pace paired with incredible close control and dribbling ability makes him a constant menace for defenses when fit and firing.
According to detailed advanced metrics on FBRef, in both the 2019 and 2020 Brasileirão seasons, Bruno Henrique was in the 97th percentile or above among all attackers for both successful dribbles per 90 minutes and progressive carries per 90 minutes. This highlights his world-class ability to beat defenders 1v1 and drive the ball into dangerous attacking areas.
And in this Libertadores clash v Olimpia, the 31-year-old rolled back the years with a man of the match display. As per Sofascore‘s statistical rating system out of 10, Bruno earned an outstanding match rating of 8.7 – the highest of any player on the pitch.
His 7 successful dribbles also led the game on the night. Beyond the match-winning goal, Bruno was a thorn in Olimpia‘s side all night, directly beating his marker on numerous occasions. His direct running and dribbling skills simply terrified the Paraguayan‘s defense throughout.
Flamengo fans will be hoping this performance marks Bruno‘s long awaited return to his previous levels of dominance. If he can stay fit, Bruno Henrique gives Flamengo an ‘x-factor‘ player capable of deciding the biggest games.
Gabigol – Not at His Influential Best But Still Dangerous
Meanwhile, Gabigol did not reach Bruno Henrique‘s spectacular heights on the night. But he grafted tirelessly leading the line for Flamengo, even if the magic touch eluded him this time out.
With three key passes, Gabigol created Flamengo‘s most threatening goalscoring situations despite struggling to impact the game himself. He also won an impressive seven out of ten duels according to Sofascore – using his 6ft frame to hold the ball up effectively against physical defenders.
It‘s a true testament to Gabigol‘s world-class ability that an off-night still included some truly dangerous moments. Early on, he pulled off a piece of outrageous skill – flicking the ball over a defender before firing a curling volley just wide of the post.
In the second half, Gabigol also made space for a shot inside the box and stung the keeper‘s palms with powerful left-footed drive.
So while not at his influential best, Gabigol kept working tirelessly upfront and still produced flashes of his game-changing talent that has yielded over 80 goals for the club.
What This Means for Flamengo‘s Libertadores Hopes
This narrow 1-0 victory gives Flamengo a strong platform heading into the second leg away at Olimpia‘s Estadio Manuel Ferreira. But it‘s only half-time in the tie and the Brazilians cannot take progression for granted.
Olimpia have a tremendous home record in the Copa Libertadores in recent years. They are unbeaten in their last 17 home fixtures in the competition dating back to 2013. Even an early away goal for Flamengo might not kill off this formidable Paraguayan side on their own patch.
But with Bruno Henrique in unstoppable form, Flamengo will still fancy their chances of progressing to the quarter-finals, despite facing a daunting trip to Paraguay. Gabigol also has a superb scoring record in South America‘s premier club competition – netting 24 goals in just 37 appearances.
If Flamengo manage to scrape through this tie, they will view themselves as serious contenders to lift a third continental crown. And you would not bet against superstar attackers Bruno Henrique and Gabigol inspiring them to glory.
Verdict – World-Class Talents Who Can Fire Flamengo to Further Glory
The verdict from this first leg is clear – both Bruno Henrique and Gabigol remain world-class forwards capable of firing Flamengo to major titles.
Bruno‘s sensational man of the match display proves he is still an elite attacking talent when fit and firing on all cylinders. Gabigol couldn‘t match those creative heights this time out, but his quality and lethal goal threat remains undoubted. He has already scored over 80 goals for the club and won numerous trophies.
As a partnership, they have already propelled Flamengo to extraordinary success – winning Brasileirão titles, the Copa Libertadores and Recopa Sudamericana together. Both players seem to be entering their peak years and more silverware could follow in the coming seasons.
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In the famous red and black stripes of Flamengo, new boss Paulo Sousa has described them as his ‘two bullets‘ – such is their ability to decide games in an instant with a moment of magic.
The scary truth for Brazilian and South American defenses is that both Gabigol and Bruno Henrique seem to be entering their peak years. At 25 and 31 years old respectively, the next 3-5 seasons could see them cement their legacies as Flamengo and Brazil greats.
Their partnership also draws comparisons to some to some of Brazil‘s greatest ever striking duos:
- 2002 World Cup: Ronaldo and Ronaldinho led Brazil to glory with a lethal combo of skill, speed and clinical finishing
- 1970 World Cup: Pele and Jairzinho tore teams apart with their creative chemistry en route to the trophy
- 1994 World Cup: Romario and Bebeto forged a fearsome attacking alliance, scoring 8 between them
Can Gabigol and Bruno Henrique emulate these Selecao greats by winning the 2022 World Cup in Qatar? That remains to be seen. But more iconic moments and titles for Flamengo surely await this deadly attacking duo regardless.