Athletico beat Flamengo 2-1 at home on Sunday afternoon to get back to winning ways after going three games without a win.
Abner opened up the scoring in the first half, while de Souza grabbed the winner late in the second period. Gustavo Henrique was on the score-sheet for Flamengo who continue their inconsistent run of form at the moment.
Flamengo goal keeper Hugo Souza was called into action early and made some saves to keep Athletico’s early advances at bay.
The home side didn’t have most of the ball but they constantly threatened Fla’s goal.
However, in the 25th minute, Abner broke the deadlock and put Athletico in the lead. The left back got to the end of Nikao’s cross, and put the ball past Hugo Souza to draw first blood.
Flamengo were able to get back into the game before the break despite a relatively poor first half. They got the equalizer from Gustavo Henrique, who headed in De Arrascaeta‘s cross following a free-kick.
Even though Flamengo were in control of the ball in most aspect of the game, they didn’t cause real problem for the home side. With the absence of both Bruno Henrique and Everton Ribeiro, they struggled for real creativity upfront.
Athletico’s laid back approach didn’t gift Flamengo enough space to operate and do anything of note. For Fla, the only positives to take from the game would be Neneca. The goal keeper was outstanding on the evening despite his side’s loss. But for his saves, Athletico could have easily scored way more goals.
Athletico would go on to score a late goal for the winner. In the 83rd minute, they got back their lead courtesy of a de Souza header assisted by substitute Silva Oliveira‘s cross from a counter attacking situation.
For their next outing, Flamengo will face Grêmio on Thursday in Porto Alegre while Athletico will return to the field on Sunday next week to face Ceará in Castelão.
