Flamengo booked a comfortable 3-0 victory over Botafogo at the Maracanã Stadium in the 25th round of Brazil's Serie A on Saturday evening. Samuel Lino opened the scoring early in the first half and added a second before the break, while J. Carrascal landed a late strike to complete the rout. The result moves Flamengo further clear in the table at second place, while Botafogo remain rooted in twelfth.
Flamengo took the lead in the thirteenth minute through Samuel Lino, who made no mistake when presented with his opportunity. Arthur Cabral had a goal cancelled by VAR shortly before, and Lucas Paqueta's effort was ruled out for offside later, but the hosts did not let their chances slip. Lino doubled the advantage in the eighty-sixth minute, and Carrascal added a third in stoppage time to ensure the points were never in doubt.
Flamengo controlled the tempo with 63 per cent possession and created three big chances from their 171 expected goals. Botafogo managed only one big chance and 79 expected goals, with their 26 dribbles failing to break through a Flamengo defence that made 17 clearances and won 12 tackles. Shots accuracy favoured the hosts at 33 per cent against 29 per cent for the visitors.
Flamengo made six changes during the match, bringing on Alex Telles, A. Montoro, Luiz Araujo, Edenilson, G. de Arrascaeta, and Arthur Cabral. Botafogo also shuffled their pack, with Vitinho and Pedro among those introduced. Marcal and G. Justino picked up yellow cards for the visitors as the game tightened in the final quarter.
The win extends Flamengo's momentum after mixed recent results, including a 1-2 loss to Cruzeiro and a 5-1 demolition of Mirassol. Botafogo's form has been uneven, with a 2-3 defeat to Atletico Paranaense and a heavy 1-6 loss to Cuiabá in their last outings. Flamengo now sit 18 points above their opponents with four games remaining.
