Ten-man Fluminense edge Vasco to lead Carioca semi-final | OneFootball

Even with one player down for half of the second half, Fluminense defeated Vasco 1-0 this Sunday at Nilton Santos. With this result, the Tricolores take the lead in the semifinals of the Campeonato Carioca. The winning goal was scored in the first half by Serna.

Match Situation

The return leg between the teams will be next Sunday at Maracanã. The Tricolores only need a draw to advance to the final. For the Cruzmaltinos, only a win by two goals will suffice. A victory by one goal will take the match to penalties.

📋 Match Summary

⚫⚪ VASCO 0 x 1 FLUMINENSE 🟢🔴⚪

🏆 Competition: Campeonato Carioca | Semifinal (first leg) 🏟️ Venue: Nilton Santos Stadium, Rio de Janeiro (RJ) 📅 Date: February 22, 2026 (Sunday) ⏰ Time: 6:00 PM (Brasília time) 🟨 Yellow Cards: Andrés Gomez, Barros, and Rojas (Vasco); Bernal, Lucho Acosta, John Kennedy, Fabio, and Freytes (Fluminense) 🟥 Red Cards: Bernal (Fluminense)

Refereeing

Goal

VASCO: Léo Jardim, Paulo Henrique (Lucas Pitón), Saldívia, Robert Renan, and Puma Rodríguez; Barros, Tchê Tchê (Brenner), and Rojas (Marino); Nuno Moreira (Adson), Andrés Gómez, and Spinelli Coach: Fernando Diniz

FLUMINENSE: Fábio, Samuel Xavier (Guga), Jemmes, Freytes, and Renê; Bernal, Martinelli, and Lucho Acosta (Guilherme Arana); Canobbio (Ganso), Serna (Ignacio), and John Kennedy (Nonato) Coach: Luis Zubeldía

How the Match Went

The derby started with both teams looking to attack. However, Vasco and Fluminense did not pose much threat to each other. Both teams made many mistakes in the offensive sector, which left the match without any quality chances. The situation changed at the 31st minute, when Fluminense opened the scoring. After a cross, Freyres flicked it on and Serna sent it into the net.

The setback forced Vasco to push forward in search of an equalizer. The Cruzmaltinos only managed to threaten at the 43rd minute, with a long-range shot from Rojas that was stopped by a good save from Fábio. 

Fluminense wasted a counterattack but almost extended their lead in stoppage time. John Kennedy passed to Bernal, who shot for a great save by Léo Jardim. Thus, the Tricolores went into halftime ahead on the scoreboard at Nilton Santos. 

Second Half

In the second half, Fluminense came back better and kept possession. But Vasco created danger the first time they attacked. Puma Rodriguez received a pass and shot for a good save by Fábio.

The Tricolores responded shortly after. With good passing, John Kennedy received a pass and shot across goal, very close to scoring. However, at the 20th minute, Fluminense was left with one player less after Bernal was sent off.

With a man advantage, Vasco took control of possession. However, the Cruzmaltinos struggled to create good chances, relying on crosses into the box. In the final minutes, the São Januário team kept up the pressure. But Fluminense managed to defend well and left the field with the win.

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*By Gazeta Press

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