The pass confirms a trend Opta had already highlighted after the first leg. Since his return to South America in February 2021, no player has provided more assists in CONMEBOL competitions than Hulk: 14 up to the match at the Maracanã, 13 with Atlético Mineiro and one with Fluminense, to which the one in Vicente López is now added. And that night in Rio, at 40 years and 45 days, he had become the oldest player to score and assist in the same match in CONMEBOL competitions since records began in 2013, surpassing Carlos Saucedo, who had done it for San José at 39 years and 226 days in 2019.
The context of his arrival gives the moment another dimension. At the end of April, after five seasons at Atlético Mineiro, where he won the Brasileirão and the Copa do Brasil in 2021, Hulk terminated his contract with the ‘Galo’ with 22 matches, five goals and three assists on the year, and signed with Fluminense through mid-2028 on a free transfer.
The numbers from his first months in Rio back it up. The Paraíba-born striker came into the tie with five goals and three assists in 13 matches for Fluminense, and with four goals and two assists in the six games since Marcão took over in August, an average of one direct goal involvement per match under the new coach.
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