Index
Flamengo suffered a 3-0 defeat to Athletico-PR in Cariacica, while Internacional came from behind to win 2-1 against São Paulo at Beira-Rio.
On the eve of the Copa do Brasil final, São Paulo and Flamengo both lost, raising concerns among the fans.
Photo: GILSON BORBA/FUTURA PRESS/ESTADÃO
Flamengo 0x3 Athletico-PR
Right at the beginning of the match, Flamengo had a chance to score. At the 2nd minute, Gabigol received a pass from Pedro, entered the box but advanced too much and shot directly at the goalkeeper.
At the 18th minute, Cacá made a mistake in the ball exit, Éverton Cebolinha gained possession, pulled it towards the middle, and took a powerful shot. Léo Linck made a save in two attempts.
At the 21st minute, Flamengo made a mess in defense, and the ball ended up with Pablo, who passed it to Cuello, one-on-one with the goalkeeper at the penalty spot. Matheus Cunha came out on top and made an excellent save.
Athletico opened the scoring at the 26th minute. After a short corner kick, Vitor Bueno unleashed a shot from long range, the ball deflected off Pedro, and Matheus Cunha saved it with his leg, but Cacá sent it into the back of the net on the rebound.
At the 44th minute, Flamengo came close to equalizing. Gabigol took a corner kick at the near post, and Léo Pereira deflected it. The ball went over Leo Linck, but Madson cleared it almost off the goal line.
In the second half, Sampaoli made changes, bringing in Éverton Ribeiro and Allan for Victor Hugo and David Luiz (booed by the fans), respectively.
The beginning of the second half saw few goal-scoring chances and a very physical game with many fouls and cards. At the 19th minute, Gabigol was sent off because, after a challenge with Cuello, the top scorer hit the Argentine in the face with his arm. The referee had initially shown only a yellow card but was called by VAR and changed the color of the card.
At the 29th minute, Esquível launched a counter-attack from the left and crossed into the box. Pablo found himself free from marking and headed strongly towards the ground, but Matheus Cunha managed to make a reflex save to prevent what would have been Athletico’s second goal.
Flamengo responded in the following minute. Pedro exchanged passes with Gerson and placed a shot in the top corner, but Léo Linck stretched out and made a great save, pushing it out for a corner.
The Hurricane extended their lead at the 38th minute. On a counter-attack, Willian attempted a pass, and Léo Pereira intercepted it. In the rebound, Alex Santana struck a first-time shot from outside the box, scoring the second goal for the Hurricane.
To seal the deal, Athletico scored their third goal in injury time. Pablo received a beautiful through ball from Vitor Bueno and shot for Matheus Cunha’s save. On the rebound, Rômulo dribbled and was fouled by Éverton Ribeiro, which the referee signaled immediately. In the penalty kick, Vitor Bueno shot it low and across, leaving Matheus Cunha with no chance.
The defeat worsens the crisis at Gávea, and Flamengo now occupies 4th place, while the Hurricane overcame their absences and climbed to 6th place.
Photo: José Tramontin/athletico.com.br
Internacional 2×1 São Paulo
In the very first minute, Internacional created a great opportunity. Alan Patrick delivered a sublime three-fingered pass, setting Maurício one-on-one with Rafael, who made a good save.
São Paulo posed a threat from corner kicks. In the 16th minute, Wellington Rato took a corner into the box, and Lucas Moura headed it alone and dangerously. At the 39th minute, Calleri shook off Mercado’s marking and headed against the post. In the following minute, once again from a corner play, Tricolor had another chance, this time with Wellington Rato heading wide.
São Paulo opened the scoring in injury time after a blunder by Keiller. The goalkeeper mishandled the ball and, in an attempt to rectify his mistake, fouled Alisson. Calleri took the penalty, low and in the middle, the ball hit Keiller’s foot but went in.
After a first half in which São Paulo dominated, Internacional came back with a different attitude and had a brilliant second half, overpowering Tricolor.
Inter started the second half with a lot of pressure, occupying São Paulo’s defensive half. Despite creating chances, they weren’t very dangerous until they leveled the score at the 13th minute. Wanderson crossed the ball into the box, and Patryck cleared it, leaving the ball at Bustos’ feet inside the area. The full-back fired a shot to equalize for Colorado.
Inter completed the turnaround with another goal from a full-back, this time by Renê. He received the ball in between the lines, turned his body, and fired a thunderous shot across the goal, much to the delight of the fans present at Beira-Rio.
Shortly after taking the lead, Inter had opportunities with shots from Alan Patrick and Maurício, which came close to the post.
Tricolor attempted to mount a comeback, first with Michel Araújo, who volleyed a shot at the 32nd minute, saved by Keiller. Later on with Diego Costa, who headed wide of the post in the following minute.
With the victory, Inter ends a 10-game winless streak in the Brasileirão and climbs to the 10th position. São Paulo, on the other hand, raises concerns among the fans ahead of the Copa do Brasil final and remains in 12th place.
Photo: Ricardo Duarte / Inter
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Written by Henry Miller.
