Flamengo dominate Vitória, close on Palmeiras and calm crisis talk | OneFootball

Flamengo cut the gap to Palmeiras from nine points to six

Flamengo took the field on Sunday night (09) and defeated Vitória 2-0. With more than 55,000 fans at the Maracanã, the Rubro-Negro earned all three points in the 22nd round of the Brazilian Championship, thanks to goals from Erick Pulgar and Bruno Henrique.

What happened in the first half?

Before the clock even reached the first minute, Flamengo put heavy pressure on Vitória. Ayrton Lucas surged down the left, reached the byline and sent the ball into the box. Jorge Carrascal arrived unexpectedly and headed it, but Arcanjo made the save.

Three minutes into the first half, more Flamengo pressure! In the play, Samuel Lino combined with Arrascaeta, received the ball near the six-yard box and curled a shot, but Vitória’s defense cleared away another good chance for the Rio Rubro-Negro side.

In short, through the first 10 minutes, it was attack (Flamengo) against defense (Vitória). It was no surprise when Flamengo created another good chance after Arrascaeta received the ball between defenders at the edge of the box and lofted it toward Pedro, who was free and close to goal. However, the No. 9 could not control it well enough to shoot and had to play it back.

Who opened the scoring?

Flamengo opened the scoring in the 13th minute of the first half. Erick Pulgar received the ball unmarked in midfield and unleashed a rocket that flew into Lucas Arcanjo’s top corner from long range. A stunning goal from the No. 5 to make it 1-0 at the Maracanã.

Then, in the 16th minute, after assisting Pulgar, Léo Pereira went for one of his own. The center back received the bouncing ball in midfield and also fired a rocket. This time, however, Arcanjo reached the top corner and fingertipped it away to prevent Flamengo’s second goal.

How did the rest of the first half go?

It is worth noting that Vitória did not have any major chances in the first half against Flamengo. Unsurprisingly, Flamengo kept creating opportunities to extend the lead. In the 30th minute, Arrascaeta received a pass from Samuel Lino behind the defense, drove into the side of the box and tried to find Pedro. However, the No. 9 slid in to finish but could not reach the ball.

Shortly after, in the 36th minute, Flamengo once again moved the ball around nicely. Arrascaeta then passed to Jorge Carrascal in the box. The Colombian stepped over, shook off his marker, but shot wide. As a result, the teams went into halftime with Flamengo leading 1-0 in the 22nd round.

And what about the second half?

Despite coming back with pressure from the start of the second half, Flamengo only extended the lead in the 34th minute after the break. On the play, Flamengo launched a counterattack with Jorge Carrascal, who passed to Bruno Henrique in midfield. The captain and No. 27 drove toward the box, created space and blasted a left-footed shot to make it 2-0.

What is Flamengo’s situation in the table now?

It is worth highlighting that the 22nd round began with Flamengo eight points behind league leaders Palmeiras. However, after Palmeiras’ 0-0 draw with Internacional, Flamengo took the field nine points behind. But after the 2-0 win over Vitória, Fla cut the gap to six.

Flamengo currently remain in second place in the Brasileirão, now with 42 points. Palmeiras, meanwhile, have 48, six more than Flamengo. However, it is worth noting that the Rubro-Negro still have one game in hand on the São Paulo club in the 2026 tournament.

What is Flamengo’s next match?

Now Flamengo switch focus to the Copa Libertadores. On Wednesday (12), the Rubro-Negro face Cruzeiro in the first leg of the South American tournament’s round of 16. The match will be played at 9:30 p.m. Brasília time at Mineirão in Belo Horizonte.

Finally, the broadcast of Flamengo vs. Cruzeiro will be on Rede Globo on free-to-air TV. In addition, as tradition dictates, Coluna do Fla will follow every detail of Flamengo’s Libertadores clash with on-site coverage straight from Mineirão.

MATCH DETAILS: FLAMENGO vs. VITÓRIA

Competition: Brasileirão, Round 22Venue: Maracanã, Rio de JaneiroDate: August 09, 2026, SundayTime: 7:30 p.m. (Brasília time)

What were the lineups?

Flamengo: Rossi; Varela, Léo Ortiz, Léo Pereira and Ayrton Lucas; Pulgar, Jorginho and Arrascaeta; Carrascal, Samuel Lino and Pedro.Head coach: Leonardo Jardim.

Vitória: Lucas Arcanjo; Caíque Gonçalves, Brítez and Fabiano Souza; Erick, Wallace, Martínez, Zé Vitor and Ramon; Matheuzinho and Renê.Head coach: Jair Ventura.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.