Flamengo vs Palmeiras

Palmeiras delivered a dominant 3-0 win over Flamengo at the Maracanã, in a match that turned on a pivotal moment inside the first half-hour. Jorge Carrascal was shown a straight red card in the 21st minute, leaving the home side to battle with ten men for the remainder of the game. With the numerical advantage, Palmeiras were clinical. Flaco López broke the deadlock on 38 minutes, capitalising on a smart ball from Allan. The same Allan doubled the lead just past the hour mark (57'), and Paulinho sealed the win deep in stoppage time (90+5'), finishing off a move initiated by Jefte. To their credit, Flamengo's Lucas Paquetá and Samuel Lino kept pressing throughout, but couldn't find a way past a well-organised Palmeiras defence. The result extends Palmeiras' lead at the top of the Brasileirão to seven points — 38 from 16 matches with a 12-3-1 record — dealing a serious blow to Flamengo's title ambitions.