Botafogo have made it to their first Copa Libertadores 2024 final, where they will face fellow Brazilian club Atletico Mineiro at El Monumental on Saturday 30th November.
Ahead of the biggest fixture in the South American diary, Nathan Joyes has put forward three players to keep an eye on in Buenos Aires.
Winger: Jefferson Savarino
For Jefferson Savarino, this final sees him play against his former employers, having spent three years at Atletico Mineiro between 2020-2022.
After a successful spell he transferred from the Brazilian club to MLS’ Real Salt Lake, where the Venezuelan found his feet in the US, scoring 18 goals across two seasons.
Having impressed on a different stage, Botafogo were keen to bring him back to Brazil as part of their rebuild - and he’s been at the heart of their success. In 14 Copa Libertadores appearances, Savarino has scored four goals and contributed with four assists.
Overall, he’s scored 12 goals and provided the same number of assists in 2024. His ability to slot in anywhere across the front line is the reason for his success, and his clever movement could be key in the final.
There’s no surprise, then, to see the 28-year-old on the radar of several European clubs, with La Liga’s Villarreal showing significant interest. A January move may be on the cards for the winger, who might be tempted by a European challenge before it’s too late.
Winger: Luiz Henrique
On the other flank you’ll find former Fluminense winger Luiz Henrique. However, a move to La Liga to join Real Betis in 2022 didn’t quite work out for the Brazilian.
Despite his lack of goal contributions in Spain, John Textor offered him the opportunity to return to his native land and be the centrepiece around Botafogo’s exciting project - and it has worked out better than most anticipated.
An eyebrow raising deal around 20m saw Botafogo break the Brazilian transfer record to bring Henrique home - which was topped only a few months later when Textor brought Argentinian midfielder Thiago Almada to the club for 25m.
But something has ignited within the 23-year-old, and after a match-winning goal against Flamengo at the Maracana early in the season, he hasn’t looked back.
The versatile, strong galloping forward has been Botafogo’s main threat throughout the 2024 campaign.
Driving runs into the box, towering headers and exceptional positioning to assist teammates have been his main attributes that are a key reason why Botafogo have made it to their first, historic final.
Three goals and two assists in the Libertadores clearly caught the eye of Dorival Junior, as Henrique has been rewarded with a Brazilian national call-up, making five appearances so far for the Seleção.
Henrique has exploded back in Brazil, and whether or not European clubs are eyeing him up as the season draws to a close, it will be difficult to tempt him away from South America’s most exciting project.
Forward: Igor Jesus
One of the signings of the season has undoubtedly been Igor Jesus. The former Coritiba graduate moved to UAE outfit Al-Ahli Dubai in 2021, scoring 12 goals and providing eight assists in 24 league appearances.
An injury struck period the following season saw Jesus only make six league appearances, but it was his appearances in the 23/24 campaign which caught Botafogo’s attention. Having scored 14 goals in 19 appearances, the Brazilian club managed to snap up the 23-year-old on a free transfer in July.
With three Libertadores goals and two assists in five appearances, including a goal and assist coming in the 5-0 semi-final win over Penarol, Jesus has taken this impressive Botafogo side to the next level.
Similar to Henrique, Jesus has been rewarded with a Brazil call-up over the last couple of international windows, and he managed to score a well guided header on his debut against Chile in Santiago.
Premier League clubs have been looking his way, but it’ll take a rather large bid to prize him away from his settled life in Brazil.
Copa Libertadores Podcast
Want to hear more from the team? Check out our Copa Libertadores 2024 Final available on Apple, Spotify and YouTube.
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