Athletico Paranaense vs Botafogo

Athletico-PR tore Botafogo apart with a ruthless 4-1 victory at the Arena da Baixada on Saturday night. Viveros was the star of the show, opening the scoring inside three minutes and adding a second in first-half stoppage time to put the hosts firmly in control. Edenílson had briefly levelled for the visitors in the 42nd minute, but any hope of a comeback was snuffed out when Juan Aguirre restored the two-goal cushion early in the second half. Esquivel then capped off the rout with a stunning direct free kick in the 81st minute that sailed into the top corner, leaving keeper Raul completely stranded. The emphatic win lifts Athletico-PR into second place on 16 points, hot on the heels of leaders Palmeiras. For Botafogo, still under interim boss Rodrigo Bellão following Martín Anselmi's sacking, it's another grim night — they remain stuck in 17th on just six points from seven games, deep in the relegation zone.