Flamengo beat Atlético-MG with late penalty to reclaim top spot

Flamengo beat Atlético-MG with late penalty to reclaim top spot On Monday (26), Flamengo beat Atlético-MG 3-2 at the Maracanã in the final match of Matchday 32 of the 2026 Brasileirão. Under pressure from their fans after their Libertadores semifinal exit, the home side started the match well. However, it was Atlético who opened the scoring when Bernard met a pass into the box with a first-time shot that wrong-footed Rossi. Flamengo then pushed forward and equalized following a mistake by goalkeeper Gabriel Delfim. Gonzalo Plata whipped in a cross from the right, the defense and goalkeeper got in each other's way, and the ball hit the post before nestling in the back of the net. Flamengo took the lead shortly afterward following another error by Everson's stand-in, who tried to clear Arrascaeta's angled shot with his foot. After the break, however, Atlético-MG came out with more attacking intent and began pressing for an equalizer. They drew level again through a superb goal from Renan Lodi, who met Victor Hugo's cross-field pass with a first-time finish inside the box.  The closing stages were electric, with good chances at both ends. However, in the final second of stoppage time, Léo Pereira was caught by Renan Lodi as they challenged for the ball inside the box.  The referee confidently pointed to the spot without going to the VAR monitor for a review. Carrascal dispatched the penalty to seal Flamengo's victory. 🚦 What it means The result took Flamengo to 70 points and back to the top of the Brasileirão, leaving Palmeiras in second place with 69 points. Atlético-MG, meanwhile, remained sixth in the table with 50 points. Both sides return to action on Thursday (29) for local derbies. Flamengo face Vasco at the Estádio Nilton Santos, while Atlético take on Cruzeiro at the Arena MRV.   This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.