Flamengo vs Fluminense

Flamengo edged past bitter rivals Fluminense 1-0 at a packed Maracanã, with over 63,000 fans watching a tense derby. The game stayed goalless for an hour, with Flamengo dominating possession but struggling to break down a resilient Fluminense backline, until the breakthrough arrived in the second half. In the 65th minute, Lucas Paquetá picked out Jorge Carrascal with a pass into the box, and the Colombian controlled the ball before firing low across goal to settle the contest. Shortly before that, goalkeeper Agustín Rossi had kept things level with a smart save to deny Matheus Martinelli. Seven yellow cards were shown in a feisty affair, with Erick Pulgar escaping with just a caution for a challenge on Kevin Castillo that sparked heated Fluminense protests, though no one was sent off. The win kept Flamengo top of the table on 64 points, while Fluminense stayed third on 51 points, left to rue a missed chance to close the gap.