Samuel Lino Scores Twice as Flamengo Beats Vasco 4-1

Samuel Lino Admits Goal Pressure at Flamengo

Samuel Lino acknowledged that the heavy burden of scoring goals weighed on him after his high-profile arrival at Flamengo, though he always maintained confidence that his slump would end, colunadofla.com reported. The forward addressed his early struggles in an interview with SBT Rio, explaining that the club’s culture of winning naturally brings intense demands from supporters.

“There was this pressure, I have to score. It affected me a bit, but I knew at some point it would pass,” Lino told SBT Rio, as detailed by onefootball.com. He noted that Flamengo is accustomed to winning trophies and expects elite performances from every player on the pitch.

Record Transfer Fee and Early Struggles in Rio

The forward arrived in Rio de Janeiro in July 2025 after transferring from Atlético de Madrid for €22 million, establishing a club record at the time. That initial price tag created immediate expectations that his early performances failed to match. During his first calendar year with the club, he recorded four goals and five assists across 31 appearances. Compounding the pressure, he missed a crucial penalty kick during a penalty shootout that eliminated Flamengo from the Copa do Brasil against Atlético-MG. Public frustration grew as fans criticized his output on social media, with hostile messages appearing on the walls outside club headquarters at Gávea, according to colunadofla.com.

The club’s historic pedigree includes Copa Libertadores titles in 2019, 2022, and 2025, with Lino part of the squad that secured the most recent championship. Against that backdrop of consistent success, supporters expected immediate dominance.

Form Revival Under Leonardo Jardim and International Call-Ups

Lino’s fortunes shifted under Portuguese manager Leonardo Jardim. By April, the attacker matched his entire output from the previous year in just 19 appearances, cementing his status as a key tactical option in Jardim’s attack. His resurgence brought a return to the Brazil national team setup. Following an initial call-up by Carlo Ancelotti in August 2025, Lino returned to the squad for friendlies and scored twice off the bench against India on October 3. His club form also attracted outside interest, including a rejected transfer offer of R$ 140 million from Italian club Roma.

The forward’s best scoring stretch culminated on Thursday 29, when he netted twice in a 4-1 victory over Vasco. Those goals brought his season tally to 16.

Upcoming Brasileirao Fixtures at the Maracanã

Flamengo enters the next phase of the Brasileirao schedule leading the standings with 73 points. The team holds a three-point advantage over second-place Palmeiras. Flamengo hosts Grêmio at the Maracanã for a round 34 fixture. Following that match, the two title contenders face each other directly in a scheduled clash on November 21 for round 36.