Following a shock 3-0 loss to Volta Redonda at the weekend, it continued yet another poor performance by the Tricolor.
Fluminense played yet another game with no firepower and poor decision making. Failing to hit the back of the net means Odair Hellmann’s side have now gone 180 minutes of football without scoring a goal. Lack of urgency shown by the team is already beginning to worry the club’s top chiefs.
The return of Nenê to the team following his recovery from Covid-19 as well as Wellington Silva was not enough to inspire his side to victory. Nenê was eventually replaced by Ganso in the second half who also put in an uninspiring performance on the evening.
In what was a game of few chances, Fluminense managed to show tactical organization but their undoing was failing to convert the few chances they had.
For Fred, it was his second outing since making his return back to the club. The forward played the full 90 minutes on this occasion and failed to score once again. Fred had opportunities to score and played the ball wide twice, including one where he tried to pull off a bicycle kick.
It could have been worse for Fluminense in the latter stages of the game. Macae’s Alexandro lost an incredible chance in the final minutes of the game and Muriel was lucky it wasn’t in the back of his net.
It means Fluminense finished the group stage with 10 points and will face Botafogo in the semifinals of the Rio Cup. In the event that Volta Redonda manages to reach 10 points and rise above Tricolor on goal difference, they will have to face Flamengo to determine their fate.
