Flamengo eye Bayern upset—and a fortune | OneFootball

According to reports from Lance, Flamengo approach their high-stakes clash with Bayern Munich in the Club World Cup’s round of 16 on Sunday with both confidence and a sense of occasion, buoyed by on-pitch success and substantial financial rewards.

Preparation in Orlando has gone largely to plan, with Thursday’s session only missing Giorgian de Arrascaeta, who continues to nurse a left knee sprain suffered in May and has been sidelined since the derby against Botafogo. The team trained under coach Filipe Luís at the ESPN Wide World Of Sports complex in a focused but relaxed session, watched closely by football director José Boto.

Bruno Henrique, drawing on his Bundesliga experience at Wolfsburg, was forthcoming about Flamengo’s tactical approach. In a pre-training interview, he identified individual battles as key: “It’s a team that marks very strongly, very compact,” said the number 27. “We’ll need to go one-on-one and use our Brazilian flair. We have fast players in attack who can decide in those moments.”

He emphasized the need for unity: “Filipe always wants us to play on the front foot regardless of opponent. Of course, we have to take precautions, run for each other, help each other — it makes it harder for Bayern to get through us. That’s our mindset. Everyone helping, everyone working.”

Questions remain over Henrique’s starting role, with Filipe Luís yet to confirm his XI. Henrique spoke about his connection with forwards Luiz Araújo and Gonzalo Plata, noting the attacking trio’s pace as something defenders dread. “No defender wants to sprint 30 or 40 meters tracking quick attackers,” he joked, suggesting the plan could be to stretch Bayern’s back line and expose them with speed in transition.

Assessing Bayern’s defense, Henrique again highlighted Flamengo’s speed as a potential advantage. “If we’re facing their goal, we can use our pace. But if we’re pinned back, their physicality can dominate.”

Despite Flamengo’s solid performance in the group stage—topping their group after victories over Espérance and Chelsea, and a draw with LAFC—the mood around the club remains focused rather than celebratory. Henrique reflected candidly on the draw with LAFC, admitting the side struggle to break down deep back fives, but said the team remains confident that their attacking style will eventually unlock most opponents.

Off the pitch, Flamengo’s Club World Cup campaign is already a financial triumph. According to Lance, the club have secured more than R$ 150 million in rewards from participation and results, surpassing their initial revenue projections. Further progress could see their windfall climb significantly.

With Bayern’s stumbles in the group phase and Flamengo’s momentum, anticipation surrounds a contest that promises to be fiercely contested. Henrique summarized the squad’s mentality: “For us, it’s a final. We face a European side, but we’ve shown we can beat anyone. We know the challenge, but we go in believing it’s possible.”

Sources: Lance

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