The Flamengo fan hoped to wake up in the provisional leadership of the Brazilian Championship. However, they failed to combine with Fortaleza. The red and black defeat to Leão do Pici, 1-0, on Saturday night (25), at Arena Castelão, was also celebrated by Palmeiras, who not only maintained first place but could open up distance at the top of the table this Sunday (26).
The Rio team has the same 61 points as Verdão, but is behind in terms of the number of victories. At 8:30 pm (Brasília time), Alviverde hosts Cruzeiro, third place, at Allianz Parque, in São Paulo. In case of victory, the São Paulo team regains the three-point advantage it had over its rival before this 30th round. As for the Minas Gerais team, if they win, they will reduce the difference between Palmeiras and Flamengo to two points and leave the fight for the title more tangled.
Fortaleza, in turn, gained momentum in the fight to remain in the elite of the Brasileirão. The team from Ceará reached 27 points, in 18th place, four points behind Santos, the first team outside the relegation zone, which brings together the four worst campaigns in the competition (the so-called Z-4). Leão do Pici could be overtaken by Juventude (26 points), who visit Grêmio this Sunday, at 4pm, at Arena tricolor, in Porto Alegre.
The winning goal for the hosts came 11 minutes into the first half, with Breno Lopes. The striker – ironically, ex-Palmeiras – received the ball in the middle on the right, advanced and shot low and crossed, from outside the area, into the left corner of goalkeeper Agustín Rossi. Flamengo pressed for a turnaround or, at least, a draw, but Tricolor resisted and secured the three points, to the delight of the local fans – and Palmeiras.
More Saturday games
Mirassol also celebrated the result at Arena Castelão. Brasileirão sensation, the São Paulo team beat Sport 2-1 at Ilha do Retiro, in Recife. Leão do Interior, youngest in Serie A and fourth placed, reached 55 points and is six behind Flamengo and Palmeiras – but with one game more than Rio’s Rubro-Negro and two more than Verdão. The Pernambuco team, with 17 points, remains in last place.
Sport lost midfielder Matheusinho after just 20 minutes, he was sent off. Seven minutes later, Mirassol took advantage of the numerical advantage and took the lead with Negueba. The home team managed to equalize at 37, with fellow striker Derik Lacerda heading in. In the first minute of the second half, however, midfielder Guilherme Marques gave the São Paulo team the triumph.
Ceará, in turn, regretted Fortaleza’s victory. And not just because of the rivalry. Vozão lost to Atlético-MG 1-0, in a direct confrontation to distance themselves from Z-4. Midfielder Alan Franco found the net at Arena MRV, in Belo Horizonte, 23 seconds into the first half, scoring the fastest goal of the Brasileirão. Galo now has 36 points and moved up to 12th. Alvinegro Ceará, with 35 points, fell to 14th.
Another team in a complicated situation in the Brasileirão is Internacional, beaten by Fluminense 1-0 at Maracanã. Full-back Samuel Xavier, 15 minutes into the second half, scored the winning goal for Tricolor in Rio de Janeiro. The Cariocas were at 44 points, in seventh, two points behind Botafogo, the last team in the classification zone for the next Libertadores, which involves the top six placed (the so-called G-6). Colorado, with 35 points, remains close to Z-4, in 15th place.
The first team in the Z-4, Vitória had the chance to stay out of the relegation zone, but was defeated at home by Corinthians, 1-0. Timão had Breno Bidon sent off in the 33rd minute of the final stage, but went on to win at Barradão, in Salvador, even with one less, with a goal from fellow midfielder Charles, in the 41st minute.
Alvinegro has 39 points, in tenth place. Rubro-Negro from Bahia remains in 17th place, with the same 31 points as Santos, but falling behind due to having one less victory. This Sunday, Peixe faces Botafogo at 4pm, at the Nilton Santos Stadium, in Rio de Janeiro, and can take advantage of Leão’s defeat to move away from the Z-4. The game will be broadcast live on Rádio Nacional.
In the last match on Saturday, São Paulo stopped the sequence of three consecutive defeats and beat Bahia 2-0, at Morumbis. Striker Luciano – who reached his 100th goal for the club – and midfielder Damián Bobadilla scored for the team from the capital of São Paulo, which reached 41 points, in eighth place. The Steel Squadron, which was looking for its third consecutive victory, remains with 49 points, in fifth.
