Palmeiras thrashes Vitória and takes the lead in the Brasileirão

The game

Palmeiras only managed to open the scoring after Vitória had two players sent off and was left with nine on the field.

Cacá received a red card in the 37th minute after a harsh tackle. Three minutes later, Luan Cândido was also sent off for making a gesture implying that the referee was favoring Palmeiras. The move was revised following a VAR alert.

With two more players, Palmeiras began to completely dominate the match and built the advantage in the first half, already in stoppage time. Maurício opened the scoring in the 46th minute, and Fabiano scored an own goal in the 51st.

At halftime, Abel Ferreira promoted the entries of José López, Emiliano Martínez and Khellven. The team only increased the score in the final stretch of the match.

Colombian Jhon Arias, who had already provided the assist for the first goal, scored the third in the 70th minute. Paraguayan Ramón Sosa completed the rout at 84.

With the victory, Palmeiras recovered from the 2-1 defeat to Atlético-MG last weekend and reached 47 points, eight more than Flamengo.

Earlier, Leonardo Jardim's team had drawn 1-1 with Internacional, a result that allowed compatriot Abel Ferreira to extend their lead in the fight for the Brazilian title.

"You have to have courage to make decisions"

After the match, Abel Ferreira praised the team's performance and stated that the referee was right in both expulsions.

"Are there doubts? Do you have doubts? There is no doubt, you saw the same thing as me. For me, there is absolutely no doubt. They saw his leg, didn't they? That's it. In my opinion, the referee just followed the rule. I accept that you and your colleagues think differently", said Abel, in an interview reproduced by ge.

Regarding Luan Cândido's expulsion, the Portuguese coach also defended the referee's decision.

"And the other? Do you know Luan Cândido's history? That gesture is clear, very clear. What the referee did was follow the rules. You need to have courage to follow the rules", he highlighted, in his style.

Asked about the eight-point advantage over Flamengo, Abel highlighted Palmeiras' regularity.

"Without a doubt, the word that defines me and Palmeiras is consistency. With the quality of the players, this is reflected in the football presented on the field. Football is an art, in which effort and talent are within the four lines, where the competitive spirit also exists and there is a way of playing in which I deeply believe. Everyone is important and no one, individually, is indispensable. This is how we are fighting to win", he concluded.