Botafogo's Lodeiro warns teammates of grind ahead

Uruguay international midfielder Nicolas Lodeiro has warned his Botafogo teammates they will need to work doubly hard to stay top of Brazil's Serie A standings.

The Rio club has won four of its first six matches to be a point clear of second-placed Coritiba ahead of Sunday's trip to Gremio, reported Xinhua.

"Top spot represents a great deal for us but it means we have to work twice as hard to stay there. We have some difficult away matches ahead and it's important we continue on the path we've shown," Lodeiro said Monday.

Lodeiro, part of Oscar Tabarez's Uruguay team that finished fourth in the Confederations Cup, admitted his team was relishing a rare seven-day break before Sunday's match in Porto Alegre.

"We have to make the most of these days off to recuperate. The championship is long and these opportunities to recharge don't come along very often."