Anthoni warns about Inter's advantage in the semi-finals and mentions the importance of Gauchão

Inter built a two-goal lead in the semi-final of the Campeonato Gaúcho, against Caxias. However, for goalkeeper Anthoni, the team needs to remain serious to not be fooled by the score. In a press conference this Wednesday (26), the Colorado goalkeeper warned about this.

- It's true that we have built up an important advantage, but it can be misleading. If we don't do our part, entering with seriousness and respecting the opponent for the campaign they've had, we could be surprised. This is natural in football all over the world - he warned.

- The mental part is very clear, that we need to be very serious. We are aware of the historical context, several players who are here have already suffered with the last two eliminations from Gauchão, it is part of the group as a whole to be aware of this, the importance of Saturday's game. So, we are all ready to go in there and give the necessary response and only then will we confirm the classification - concluded Anthoni.

If they confirm their advantage, Inter will return to the Gauchão final almost four years later. Furthermore, they have gone eight years without winning the state championship, combined with their rival's sequence of titles, which has made the championship an obsession for the club.

However, this year's Campeonato Gaúcho has been gaining controversial contours and accusations surrounding the refereeing. This culminated in the FGF's decision to assign VAR from other states to the final games of the competition, being the second leg matches of the semi-finals and the two final matches.

- Even if we don't look for it, the information ends up arriving, it's natural. We are aware of the importance of the championship, especially as I said, there are a lot of athletes here who lived through the eliminations and it was painful. It's the starting point to understand the size of this Gauchão.

- A different Gauchão is starting, with VAR from the first round, something new even for the referees. Naturally, there will be controversy. There will be refereeing errors, pressure from the fans, it's natural, we have to work to minimize the effect of this on us. What will take our attention away from these external details is work, being able to focus on the tactical and technical aspects, things that Roger has been asking for, it's the trigger we need to evolve - emphasized the goalkeeper.