Nottingham Forest defender Felipe has told ESPN Brasil what he told Renan Lodi ahead of Saturday’s clash against Manchester City. The 33-year-old made his full Forest debut and helped the team claim an important point against the champions.
It was always going to be a tough debut for Felipe. He would go up against world-class talisman Erling Haaland, with City boasting a formidable team that has elite players running through it.
The Norwegian powerhouse gave Forest a harsh lesson when the two teams met back in August. He scored a hat-trick in the first half and handed the Reds a reminder of what they can expect in the Premier League.
Felipe signed for the Reds during transfer deadline day. He signed for the club for just under £2 million from Atletico Madrid and now he will be given the chance to hold down a regular place.
Ahead of Saturday, Felipe spoke to Renan Lodi about coming up against Haaland. Now, he’s explained how the conversation went following the player’s epic performance against City.
He told ESPN Brasil: Everyone knows and already knows very well how Haaland plays, his style of play. He’s a physically very strong guy, and he has the intelligence to seek out those spaces.
“I even talked to Renan Lodi that I wasn’t able to cover him much because of that because I’d rather be touching him, so I can take away his speed.
“So, that’s what I did the whole game: I managed to stay close to him. That’s why, when he tried to move forward, I was touching him and bothered him a lot. It was a good duel.”
Felipe shares what he told Renan Lodi about Erling Haaland
It was a performance to saviour for Felipe on Saturday. The Reds were outstanding defensively and the Brazilian defender did a really good job on Haaland from the very first minute.
For some Forest fans, it would have been the first time they’d seen Felipe in action. Against City, he could have been forgiven for folding and looking a little rusty after not playing much football.
Instead, he wasn’t fazed and started the game with a determination to do things right. He linked up well with Joe Worrall and both players finished the game with 10 clearances.
Felipe is in the early stages of his Forest career. It’s fair to say, however, that he’s ready to do whatever it takes to help the Reds preserve their Premier League status.