Wednesday evening was certainly special for Manchester United loanee Andreas Pereira.
Besides playing in front of Flamengo fans for the first time at the Maracanã stadium, the midfielder also made his debut in the Copa Libertadores, where he took part in the first leg of semifinals against Barcelona.
And despite not having any goals or assists, Pereira was highly praised by fans and press following the 2-0 win. Newspaper O Globo, the biggest in Rio de Janeiro, features a piece on the player today.
“In his third game as a starter, the first for the Libertadores, midfielder Andreas Pereira was Flamengo’s best surprise for the final stretch of the season. The player participated in almost all the plays and showed a lot of quality to act as the second defensive midfielder and also create offensive situations,” they say.
“With the ball at the feet, he has the characteristic of looking for the opponent, passing and receiving, and does not hold the ball. The style allows him to progress well on the pitch, as he doesn’t have that much speed for sprints. Technical precision is his biggest hallmark.”
Meanwhile, other websites highlight his performance as well. Torcedores says Pereira has consolidated himself as the ‘engine’ of Flamengo’s midfield, while Coluna do Fla says he’s been playing ‘in a suit’.
In case Pereira continues to do well like this, that could be only be good for Manchester United. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer could give the midfielder another chance after the loan, like he’s done with Diogo Dalot and Jesse Lingard, or the club would find a better scenario to negotiate his sale next summer.
