Flamengo's Bruno Henrique leaves Mineirão in pain and criticizes refereeing

Flamengo forward Bruno Henrique left the Mineirão stadium with significant pain in his left ankle following the 1-1 draw against Cruzeiro in the first leg of the Copa Libertadores Round of 16. The player sustained a hard challenge from midfielder Matheus Henrique in the first half.

The incident occurred in the tenth minute when the Cruzeiro player caught the Flamengo forward with his studs. Referee Yael Falcón issued only a yellow card, and the VAR team, led by Héctor Paletta, did not recommend a review for a potential sending-off.

I am in a lot of pain in my ankle ligaments. I will be evaluated in Rio. What bothers me is that the VAR did not call for a review. The referee said it was a normal challenge. Bruno Henrique

After the match, teammate Léo Pereira joined the criticism, stating that the foul was clearly worthy of a red card. Bruno Henrique, who played until the 65th minute before being replaced by Pedro, was seen struggling to walk and will undergo medical tests to determine the severity of the injury.

The draw keeps the tie wide open for the return leg. After Cruzeiro opened the scoring via Arroyo early in the second half, Lucas Paquetá equalized for the visitors. The winner of the second leg at the Maracanã will advance to the quarter-finals, while another draw would force a penalty shootout.