Carrascal Seals Derby Victory as Flamengo Stays Top of the Table

Flamengo secured a crucial 1-0 victory over Fluminense on Sunday (11) at the Maracanã in this heated Rio derby, maintaining their grip on top spot in the Campeonato Brasileiro. Carrascal's strike in the closing stages of the second half, set up by Lucas Paquetá, ensured the Rubro-Negro's third consecutive win and kept them on 64 points, just one ahead of second-placed Palmeiras.

Match Summary

From the opening moments, Flamengo took control and tested Fluminense's goalkeeper Fábio almost immediately. Samuel Lino, operating down the left flank, received the ball early on, cut inside and fired an effort that Fábio turned away. The Rubro-Negro's dominance continued as Carrascal threaded a brilliant pass to Paquetá in the tenth minute, with the playmaker's low shot again requiring a save from the Fluminense keeper.

Despite Flamengo's pressure, Fluminense gradually found their rhythm and began to share possession. Defending with a compact shape, the Rubro-Negro advanced aggressively and looked to suffocate their opponents. A dangerous moment arrived on 36 minutes when Paquetá found Pedro in the box, but his effort sailed wide of the post.

As the half progressed, Flamengo came close again through set pieces. Samuel Lino's low cross from the goal line found Paquetá's head, but Fábio made a solid save to keep the scores level. The first half ended goalless, though the Rubro-Negro had created the better chances.

Flamengo emerged with renewed purpose in the second period, and within twenty minutes of the restart, manager Leonardo Jardim made two substitutions: Joaquín Freitas and Bruno Henrique came on for Saúl and Pedro. The changes injected fresh energy, and the goal soon arrived. Paquetá delivered a pinpoint cross to the back post, where Carrascal was waiting to strike first time past Fábio. It was an eighth assist of the season for Paquetá and the Colombian's ninth goal in a Flamengo shirt.

Jardim continued to manage the game with further changes, introducing Plata and De La Cruz to replace Paquetá and Samuel Lino respectively. The derby marked De La Cruz's 100th appearance for the club—a milestone the midfielder celebrated with another valuable three points. Late on, Danilo came on for Carrascal to shore up the defence.

Fluminense pressed for an equaliser in the final stages and created some openings, but Flamengo's rearguard held firm to secure an emphatic win that tightens their hold on first place.

Flamengo

Rossi; Varela, Léo Ortiz, Léo Pereira and Alex Sandro; Erick Pulgar, Saúl (Joaquín Freitas) and Lucas Paquetá (Plata); Carrascal (Danilo), Samuel Lino (De La Cruz) and Pedro (Bruno Henrique).

Manager: Leonardo Jardim.

Fluminense

Fábio; Samuel Xavier, Ignácio, Millán and Guilherme Arana; Martinelli (Wesley Natã), Nonato and Lucho Acosta (Ganso); Canobbio (Savarino), Soteldo (Serna) and Castillo (Hulk).

Manager: Marcão.

Upcoming Fixture

Flamengo return to action on Thursday (15) against Estudiantes at the Estádio Jorge Luis Hirschi, kick-off 21:30, in the first leg of the Copa Libertadores semi-final.

Match Statistics

Flamengo 1 x 0 Fluminense – Campeonato Brasileiro – Round 30

Venue: Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro

Date and Time: 11/10/2026, 17:30 BRT

Referee: Rafael Rodrigo Klein (RS), Bruno Raphael Pires (GO) and Victor Hugo Imazu dos Santos (PR)

Yellow Cards: Erick Pulgar (FLA), Lucho Acosta (FLU), Saúl (FLA), Canobbio (FLU), Soteldo (FLU), Ignácio (FLU), Guilherme Arana (FLU) and Freitas (FLA)

Goal: Carrascal (19'/2ndH).