📹 Refereeing controversy and a Carrascal stunner, Fla beat Flu

In a match that saw controversy over refereeing decisions and a stunning goal, Flamengo emerged victorious in a Rio derby against Fluminense, winning 1-0 at the Maracanã on Sunday. Both teams, aware of important upcoming fixtures, opted to rotate their squads heavily. Fluminense made seven changes to their starting lineup, while Flamengo, with a deeper squad, made only three changes from their previous match.

Despite the heavy changes, Flamengo dominated the game, pressing their opponents as they struggled to play out from the back, creating little scoring opportunity. The first half remained goalless, with only a yellow card shown to Flamengo's Pulgar for a studs-up challenge on Castillo's knee. However, after the break, Flamengo took 20 minutes to open the scoring.

Lucas Paquetá crossed from the right, and Carrascal struck a precise first-time finish to beat goalkeeper Fábio. Fluminense, trailing, had several chances to equalize but Argentine goalkeeper Rossi made several impressive saves, including one from a side-footed shot by Serna in stoppage time. The win keeps Flamengo at the top of the Brasileirão, one point ahead of Palmeiras, while Fluminense remains third with 51 points.

Fluminense will next face Palmeiras in the Libertadores semifinals' first leg, while Flamengo will visit Estudiantes in Argentina. Both teams return to action in the Brasileirão next Sunday.