Hulk has not won the Copa Libertadores at 38 years of age.
There is more to Botafogo’s rise than finances.
The scouting department has been doing exceptional work finding players where nobody is looking.
Igor Jesus is a prime example.
Just months ago, the now Botafogo center-forward was virtually an unknown figure playing in the United Arab Emirates. The debut for the club was in July, and by October had become Brazil’s first choice, with Premier League clubs gauding for his signature.
Powerful left-footed right winger Luiz Henrique created a fantastic few months since before signing from Betis, now in the Brazil team.
Then there’s Thiago Almada: a true delight of a little playmaker who hails from Argentina’s World Cup-winning squad apparently fills with life on stage as exemplified in Tuesday’s show-stealing performance: placing the icing on the cake, so to speak, in a fine 3-0 victory against compatriots Palmeiras, leaving Botafogo at the forefront in this competition within two arms length of glory.
The fullbacks of the Premier League will also be remembered: Vitinho, signed from Burnley to run on the right, and Alex Telles, who once called Manchester United home, on the left. And the former Everton midfielder Allan will probably be benched.
Hulk is undoubtedly the most relevant name to be associated with the recent successes of Atletico.
Owing to the fact that it happened overseas, they did not regard him too well amongst Brazilian supporters-and then he returns here to perform weekly exhibitions of his attacking threat.
He forms an excellent strike partnership with a vibrant Paulinho, and Milito is set to unleash on the field either from the start or off the bench, big left-footed center forward Deyverson who scored that goal for Palmeiras in this competition three years ago.
Deyverson is nothing if not a natural showman, full of antics, but if nothing else, has class in abundance.
Eduardo Vargas, once of QPR, will find himself on the sidelines.
Lyanco won’t march back to the Southampton pitch for days but is considering a start, and Gustavo Scarpa, who was not very happy last year at Nottingham Forest, now acts as a very important link in providing the strikers with huge opportunities wide on the right to unleash his potentially devastating left foot.
A later substitution for him may be the hugely endorsed Alisson Santana – the only teenage wonderboy on display.
HOW WILL THE GAME PAN OUT?
Botafogo’s Igor Jesus celebrates scoring with teammates
Image source, Reuters
Image caption,
Botafogo is currently leading the way in Brazil’s domestic championship, Seria A
This has become a match with a clear favorite.
Especially after the considerable win the team just achieved Tuesday while away to Palmeiras, Botafogo is going to be the team most expect to win.
It boasts high morale while Atletico has gone 10 games without a win, the last of which was marked by a victory in the first leg of the semi-final played on October 22.
Since then, they lost both legs of the prestigious domestic cup final and have slumped in the league.
So the key question is, how will Atletico go about the game?
Botafogo will want to impose themselves, attacking quick through the charges of Luiz Henrique and the clever, quick, angled passes of Almada and Jefferson Savarino, their Venezuelan attacking midfielder.
In full flow, they are the most thrilling sight, and probably the best team that has come out of South America since that 2019 Flamengo side.
Atletico coach Milito normally wants to attack.
In the middle of his back three, Rodrigo Battaglia is a converted midfielder, there to help the side play out of defence.
Does the coach opt to sit back and cover up, strengthening midfield? Or will he stick with an attacking trident, with Deyverson pushing the Botafogo defence back to create room for the surges of Hulk?
There are two arguments in favor of a more cautious gameplan.
One is that Bogafogo is wearisome towards the end of the grueling season, and might pay for that all-important Tuesday win over Palmeiras.
With the possibility of extra time, Milito could decide to play a waiting game.
The longer the score continues level, the more nervous Botafogo is likely to get.
This new Botafogo are still waiting for the first title – and the first is the hardest.
Last year, they let a massive lead slip in the league – what seemed like a certain victory ended up disappointing as fifth place.
This is solidly a different and far better team, yet no less collective trauma remains and there have been some late wobbles in the course of this Libertadores Campaign.
The road to healing the trauma is winning the trophy, and it would promise lots of fun to see whether Botafogo could actually meet the occasion and play to the on-going potential and make themselves the last of Brazil’s traditional big 12 clubs crowned champions of South America.
