Flamengo halt leaders' charge, beat Botafogo at Nilton Santos | OneFootball

The classic at Nilton Santos saw Flamengo's victory on Wednesday night (15).

Thanks to goals from Pedro, Luiz Araújo, and Plata, the Rubro-Negro defeated Botafogo 3-0 in the 28th round of the Brasileirão.

"Returning" the 4-1 they suffered at the same stadium in last year's BR.

Flamengo did not allow Palmeiras to extend their lead at the top.

Meanwhile, the Glorioso lost their third in the last four rounds in front of 22,635 attendees.

Fla is more competent

Flamengo had greater possession and game volume in the initial stage.

While Botafogo relied more on transitions. But with too many errors when it came to "deciding".

The Rubro-Negro complained about a penalty on Luiz Araújo.

But they took the lead after Arrascaeta's technical quality tipped the balance and Pedro scored in his 300th game at 40'.

Attempts on one side and... goals on the other

The changes made by Davide Ancelotti ensured a more aggressive Botafogo after the break.

But without making Rossi work. And they saw the opponent be lethal.

Counterattack with Cebolinha and a pass from Pedro for Luiz Araújo to extend the lead (70').

Plata had barely a minute on the field when he was set up by Carrascal to score the third (80').

The final minutes saw many Botafogo fans leaving Nilton Santos.

And chants of "olé" from the Rubro-Negro fans.

Flamengo didn't have a dazzling performance, but they overflowed with competence. They were an organized team with and without the ball.

While Botafogo - full of poor individual performances - was easy prey.

They also lost Barboza and Marlon Freitas, both suspended, for the next round.

📊 Standings and schedule 📅

Flamengo reached 58 points in 27 matches.

They remain three behind their future opponent, the leader Palmeiras - who have two more wins.

Meanwhile, Botafogo stayed at 43 in 28 games. And they might lose the fifth position.

See the updated standings here.

Both will play again next Sunday (19).

The Glorioso will visit Ceará at Arena Castelão.

And the Rubro-Negro will face the aforementioned Palmeiras at Maracanã.

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

📸 Wagner Meier - 2025 Getty Images