Samuel Lino doubles his participation in goals and becomes a central player in Leonardo Jardim’s Flamengo

Striker Samuel Lino is enjoying his moment of greatest protagonism since arriving at Flamengo, consolidating himself as one of the main offensive weapons of the team led by Leonardo Jardim. In the 2-1 victory over Fluminense, played last Sunday (12) by Campeonato Brasileiro, the left winger was responsible for the two assists that resulted in goals from center forward Pedro. The performance in the Rio classic reflects the statistical evolution of the player, who has already surpassed his offensive productivity from the entire previous year in less than half of the games played.

The rise of the number 16 comes in a period of tactical affirmation under the management of the new technical committee, which has given the athlete more freedom to act close to the baseline and look for individual plays. In 19 matches played in the first half of 2026, Lino has scored four goals and six assists, totaling 10 direct participations in goals. Para comparison effect, throughout the 2025 season, the player recorded nine appearances (four goals and five decisive passes) over 39 clashes. The average time needed for him to contribute a goal fell drastically, going from 153 minutes to just 96 minutes per match.

Technical evolution and gain in offensive efficiency

Samuel Lino’s growth is not just about final passes, but also about the quality of decisions made in the final third of the field. Detailed data from platform Sofascore shows that the attacker increased his average number of decisive passes to 1.4 per game, in addition to improving his completion rate. In 2025, the player needed 11 shots to score goals, a rate that dropped to 6.5 shots in the current season. Esse Gain in precision has been fundamental for Flamengo to maintain offensive regularity in high-intensity games, such as the state classics and the beginning of the national competition.

Below, the comparative numbers detail the athlete’s performance at the beginning of the year:

• Games played: 19 (11 as a starter)
• Goals scored: 4
• Assists made: 6
• Decisive passes per match: 1.4
• Correct dribbles per game: 1.3 (with 57% efficiency)
• Duels won on the field: 58%
• Average rating Sofascore: 7.26

The left winger’s dribbling ability remains one of his strongest characteristics, keeping his success rate at 57%. However, it is in the collective aspect that Lino has stood out most, serving as the main announcer of Pedro, which resumed its position as a pillar of the red-black attack. The harmony between the winger and the center forward has been worked on by Leonardo Jardim in training and was evident in Maracanã, where the deep plays on the left side dismantled the opponent’s defensive system.

Tactical impact on Leonardo Jardim scheme

Within the structure set up by the Portuguese coach, Samuel Lino fulfills the function of widening the field, forcing the opposing marking to move to the lateral sectors. Isso creates internal spaces for the arrival of midfielders and Pedro himself. Além of the physical vigor to recover defensively, the player has shown greater resistance in individual duels, winning most of the ball disputes from below. Sua importance for the squad grew as it became more active in quick transitions, taking advantage of its speed to overcome rival full-backs.

The trust placed by the board and the coaching staff seems to have had a direct impact on the athlete’s emotions, as he appears to be more confident in trying risky plays. Of the 19 matches played in 2026, he started on the bench on eight occasions, but his appearance has been frequent to change the dynamics of the games in the second half or to make up for absences due to physical exhaustion. His starting status, achieved in decisive matches like Fla-Flu, indicates that he should be kept in the main formation for the team’s next challenges in the season.

Consolidated history and upcoming challenges

Since his debut for Flamengo, Samuel Lino has played 50 official matches, of which he started 36. In total, the striker has scored eight goals and provided 11 assists with the red-black shirt. The personal record of great chances created (11 in total) shows that his presence on the field generates a considerable volume of play, regardless of the opponent. The player is also one of the players who suffers the most fouls in the squad, with an average of 1.4 fouls per match, which creates frequent dead ball opportunities for the team.

Flamengo now focuses its attention on the follow-up to Campeonato Brasileiro and the knockout stages of continental competitions. With the good moment of Lino, the club hopes to maintain its offensive performance to fight for titles in 2026. Maintaining physical form and statistical regularity will be the striker’s main challenge in the coming months, aiming not only at individual numbers, but at consolidating the tactical scheme that returned the team to the competitiveness expected by the fans.