Londrina’s ‘advantage’ in the Paranaense final against Operário

The week before the match in Ponta Grossa, Operário did not enter the field and gained more time to prepare for the final. Londrina did not need to travel, but played in the Copa do Brasil and beat Penedense-AL 1-0. Coach Allan Aal prioritized the State Championship and rested most of the starters.

Despite the decision to change the team, Allan Aal believes that the physical aspect hindered Londrina. “The physical and mental exhaustion took a bit of a toll, we managed to control it during the match. Now it’s time to recover well to play at home. The support of our fans will be very important”, he highlights.

“We had an exhausting game on Wednesday in the Copa do Brasil, it was very difficult to maintain the same intensity throughout the game. A game with few opportunities, a lot of long balls and dead balls. When we put the ball on the ground, we managed to create within our characteristics. What matters a lot is the physical and emotional factors at times”commented Allan Aal.

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Goalkeeper Vágner sees Operário prepared to face the decisive marathon. “A slightly atypical week, that’s what Londrina had during the week. We’re going out to play in the Copa do Brasil and then there’s a decisive game in Londrina. We’re prepared for all moments, for all opponents and all fields. This team has surpassed itself every day and it’s no wonder they came last to the championship final. We’re going to try our best to bring this title to the city”, he says, in an interview with the channel Goat and to Ric.

Operário sees himself superior in the first game of the Paranaense final

In a game with few chances, Operário had the best opportunities, especially in the first half, and stopped in the defense of goalkeeper Maurício Kozlinski. According to Vágner, the game in Ponta Grossa “was typical of a final”.

“In the case of the final, the game will always be decided in the details. We had a lot of volume, especially in the first half, and we put the opposing team in the defensive field. Londrina is very well organized in the defensive part and it is always very difficult to face. We had our opportunities, we were much superior. It was a typical final game, and we are prepared to go to their home to decide this championship, which is our main objective”, says the Fantasma goalkeeper.

On the other hand, Allan Aal values ​​the performance of Londrina’s defensive system, which did not concede a goal in seven of the 12 games of the season.

“I’m very happy with the balance that the team is having in neutralizing the opponent’s situations and without giving up on playing. Naturally, as it was the first match away from home, Operário’s impetus to open the score in the first half would be very high. We managed to control this and could have made better use of the offensive transitions. The defensive system is not just the four players, I see a great commitment from the entire team”, he assesses.