Flamengo beats Fortaleza and is 6 points off the lead in the Brasileirão

Championship

With one game less, Rubro-Negro faces second place Palmeiras on Wednesday

After two defeats, Flamengo won again in the Brazilian Championship by beating Fortaleza 2-0 away from home this Sunday (5). Striker Pedro opened the scoring at the end of the first half, and Luis Araújo sealed the victory for Rio’s Rubro-Negro at Arena Castelão.

With six rounds left before the end of the championship and with one game less, Flamengo remains in sixth place, with 53 points, six less than leader Botafogo. The team, led by coach Tite, plays a decisive game next Wednesday (8), against second-placed Palmeiras (59 points), also with one game in hand.

The Rio team was slightly better in the first half. At 12 minutes, inside the area, Pedro shot and almost opened the score. The ball deflected off Britez’s arm, and the Rubro-Negro players complained about a penalty. However, the move was not reviewed by the VAR, which was inoperative. Two minutes before the kickoff, referee Anderson Daronco had already alerted players and team coaches about the defect on the monitor at the edge of the field. The score remained 0-0. In the 14th minute the problem with the monitor was resolved and the VAR started working again.

On the field, Flamengo launched more attacks with attacks from the left by Everton Cebolinha. The red-and-black goal came at the end, in the 44th minute, with a steal from Luiz Araújo at the edge of the penalty area. He passed it to Felipe Luiz who found Pedro inside the area, who hit the ball firmly into the goal. Excited, Flamengo had two consecutive chances to expand with Arrascaeta, at 48, and Cebolinha two minutes later. The players started from midfield until they finished, but the shots stopped at Tricolor goalkeeper João Ricardo.

In the second half, Fortaleza put pressure on and lined up chances to equalize with shots from outside the area. After three minutes, midfielder Lucas Crispim sent a bomb from midfield, but the ball exploded on the left post of Rossi’s goal. Lucero then missed two good opportunities, heading from inside the area, the last of which missed the post. Flamengo’s best chance came in the 19th minute: striker Luiz Araújo crossed for Arrascaeta who raised it for Matheuzinho to shoot, but he shot it wide. Fortaleza continued to insist. In the 23rd minute, Marinho took a risk from outside the area and then in the 32nd minute, Thiago Galhardo also wasted two opportunities to equalize, shooting from distance. In the end, in the 41st minute, an inspired Filipe Luiz crossed low for Everton Ribeiro, who let the ball pass for Luiz Araújo to shoot and hit the back of the net and extend the red-and-black triumph to 2-0.

Other games of the 32nd round

Red Bull Bragantino defeated Corinthians 1-0 at home and remains in third place in the championship, with 59 points, fighting for the top of the table. The scorer of the only goal at the Nabi Abi Chedid stadium was striker Helinho, in the 11th minute, who sent a missile from outside the area, following a corner kick.

With the stumble, Timão lost one position and ends the 32nd round in 13th position (40 points).

Internacional came out on top as a visitor, beating Cruzeiro 2-1 at Mineirão. Midfielder Maurício, a former Cruzeiro player, opened the scoring in the first half, and Wanderson added to it in the final stage. On the Cruzeiro side. Bruno Rodrigues scored in stoppage time. With the triumph, Colorado reached 42 points and rose to 11th place in the league table.

Raposa remains in 16th place, and runs the risk of entering the relegation zone (Z4) in the event of Vasco’s victory against leader Botafogo, at 7pm (Brasília time) this Monday (6), in São Januário.

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