Corinthians retain Brazilian league with win over Flamengo
SAO PAULO (AP) - Vagner Love scored the lone goal as Corinthians claimed a 1-0 win over Flamengo on Sunday to retain an eight-point lead in the Brazilian League with just six rounds remaining in the regular season.
Flamengo's task was always going to be tough at Corinthians Arena, where the home side has conceded only eight goals this year with 14 wins from 16 home league games.
Things got tougher for Flamengo once striker Love gave the home side the lead on the stroke of half time. A second yellow card for Flamengo midfielder Jonas 13 minutes in to the second half made the challenge insurmountable for a side with just one win in its last six outings.
Former Flamengo striker Love's 10th goal of the season saw him overshadow Peruvian international Jose Paulo Guerro's return to Corinthians, the club which sold him earlier this season.
Atletico Mineiro's attacking midfield pair of Luan and Giovanni Augusto scored two second-half goals five minutes apart to give the Belo Horizonte side all three points with a 2-1 win over Ponte Preta. Renato Chaves two minutes into stoppage time for Ponte Preta.
Atletico Mineiro hosts Corinthians on Nov. 1 in a must-win game for the home side. Corinthians is firm favorite to claim a sixth Brazilian title and its first since 2011.
Elsewhere in the jostling for the fourth and final qualifying spot for next season's Copa Libertadores - South America's premier club competition - looks set to go down to the wire. Three points separates the six teams currently occupying fourth-ninth place.
Sao Paulo won, 2-1 at Coritiba and Internacional beat Joinville 1-0 at home to join fourth-placed Santos on 50 points. The Sao Paulo club could only draw 0-0 away to strugglers Figueirense and clings to the Copa Libertadores spot courtesy of goal difference.
Sport Recife jumped above Palmeiras after an impressive 2-0 victory at the Sao Paulo club. A goal in each half, the second from striker Andre who has 11 goals this season, placed Sport on 49 points.
Third-placed Gremio failed to score against bottom of the table side Vasco da Gama, drawing 0-0. The Rio de Janeiro club has drawn its last four games and remains locked behind 19th placed Joinville on goal difference.
Fellow relegation battlers Goias lost 1-0 at home to Cruzeiro, thanks to Uruguayan midfielder Giorgian De Arrascaeta's 51st minute strike. Goias has now lost its last five games to sit three points from safety.
Also Sunday, Chapecoenese and Avai drew 0-0, while Atletico Paranaense beat Fluminense 1-0 on Saturday.