This has become a match with a clear favorite.
Especially after Tuesday’s big win against Palmeiras, Botafogo is the team most people expect to win.
Their morale is high, while Atlético has gone 10 games without winning; the last victory was in the first leg of the semi-final on October 22.
Since then they lost both games in the prestigious national cup final and have fallen from the league.
The key question, then, is how will Atlético approach the match?
Botafogo will seek to impose themselves, attacking at a good pace, through the charges of Luiz Henrique and the intelligent, fast and angled passes of Almada and Jefferson Savarino, their Venezuelan attacking midfielder.
In full development, they are an exciting sight and possibly the best team to come out of South America since that Flamengo of 2019.
Atlético coach Milito usually wants to attack.
In the middle of their back three, Rodrigo Battaglia is a converted midfielder, who is there to help the team play outside of defense.
Does the coach choose to sit back and cover, strengthening the midfield? Or will he stick with an attacking trident, with Deyverson pushing back the Botafogo defense to create space for Hulk’s attacks?
There are two arguments in favor of a more cautious course of action.
One is that, towards the end of a grueling season, Botafogo can be exhausting. They could pay a price for that vital victory over Palmeiras on Tuesday.
With the possibility of an extension, Milito could decide to play a waiting game.
Plus, the longer the scores are tied, the more nervous Botafogo will get.
This new Botafogo is still waiting for the first title, and the first one is the most difficult.
Last year they blew a huge lead in the league and what seemed like a sure win ended in a disappointing fifth place.
This is a different and much better team.
But the collective trauma persists and there have been some final swings in the course of this Libertadores campaign.
The way to heal the trauma, of course, is to win the trophy, and it promises to be fun to see if Botafogo can rise to the occasion, play to their full potential and become the last of Brazil’s traditional Big 12 clubs. to be crowned champions of South America.
