Flamengo endorsed Athletico Paranaense with five goals on matchday 22 of the Brazilian Championship, which leads with an iron hand a Palmeiras team that beat Corinthians, whose coach, the Portuguese Vítor Pereira, responded with sarcasm to his possible dismissal.
“Do you know how much money I have in the bank, friend? I have a stable life, I don’t need it. I’m at Corinthians, and if it’s not Corinthians it will be at any other club and whenever I want”, Pereira said ironically when asked if he thinks he can be fired.
The pressure on the Portuguese coach is increasing. Saturday’s loss left Corinthians nine points clear of Palmeiras, who played worse at Sao Paulo’s Neo Química Arena but took all three points thanks to an own goal.
Now far from the top of the Brazilian Championship and recently eliminated from the Copa Libertadores by Flamengo, against whom they showed a poor image, the São Paulo team only has one card left: the Brazilian Cup.
To make matters worse, they lost the second position in favor of Flamengo, who this Sunday activated the roller mode again to endorse Paranaense 5-0.
All five goals were scored in an overwhelming second half, four of them from corner kicks. Chilean midfielder Arturo Vidal started again from the bench and barely played the last fifteen minutes of the game.
The two teams, which this week qualified for the semifinals of the Copa Libertadores, will face each other again in the second leg of the Copa do Brasil quarterfinals.
The team from Rio seems to be the only major rival to face a Palmeiras that gave a blow of authority towards the League title after their triumph at the Neo Química Arena. They are already nine points ahead of Flamengo and Corinthians.
Reigning champions Atlético Mineiro ended a three-game losing streak by beating Coritiba 1-0. Alan Kardec scored in the last breath of the match, a pass from Argentine midfielder Nacho Fernández.
After the defeat, the Coritiba board struck down Paraguayan coach Gustavo Morínigo, who had been in charge since January 2021.
Another team that cut a bad streak, this one of six games without winning, was Sao Paulo, which this Sunday thrashed Red Bull Bragantino 3-0.
