Botafogo secured a 2-0 victory against Fluminense, increasing their lead in the Brazilian Championship.
Junior Santos found the net in the 19th minute, followed by Tiquinho Soares in the 21st minute.
This marked the first game for Botafogo under interim coach Lucio Flavio, who replaced Bruno Lage.
As a result of this win, Botafogo now stands with 55 points, nine points ahead of Bragantino.
Despite fielding their regular starters, Fluminense didn’t perform up to par and dropped to seventh place with 41 points.
Their position was taken by Fortaleza, who defeated América Mineiro 3-2 and climbed to sixth place with 42 points.
In the Gre-Nal derby, Grêmio suffered a 3-2 loss to Internacional, with Enner Valencia, Wanderson, and Alan Patrick scoring for Internacional, while Joao Pedro and Luis Suarez scored for Grêmio.
Grêmio maintained their third-place position with 44 points.
Palmeiras, recently eliminated from the Copa Libertadores, faced a 1-2 defeat against Santos.
Zé Rafael managed to score for Palmeiras, but goals from Tomás Rincón and Marcos Leonardo secured the victory for Santos.
This win propelled Santos to 14th place, taking them out of the relegation zone with 30 points.
Palmeiras remains in fourth place, level on points with Grêmio and Flamengo (5th). In another match, Flamengo drew 1-1 against Corinthians on Saturday.
São Paulo, the Copa do Brasil champions, played out a goalless draw against Vasco da Gama.
Background
Adding some background, Botafogo’s triumph over Fluminense not only extended their lead in the Brazilian Championship but also marked a significant turnaround following a five-game winless streak.
It showcased their ability to regroup under interim coach Lucio Flavio after the departure of Bruno Lage.
Fluminense’s disappointing performance raises doubts regarding their ability to maintain their strong form, despite their recent advancement to the Copa Libertadores final. T
his match exemplified the unpredictability of the Brazilian Championship, as Fortaleza’s win over América Mineiro allowed them to surpass Fluminense in the standings.