Flamengo Beat Palmeiras 3–2 to Draw Level in Title Race After Contentious Maracanã Clash

Overview

• Flamengo won 3–2 in the 29th round at the Maracanã, leaving both clubs on 61 points with Palmeiras still leading on total victories.
• Pedro supplied an assist for De Arrascaeta, won a penalty converted by Jorginho, and scored himself in front of about 71,000 fans.
• Palmeiras and coach Abel Ferreira protested a missed early penalty on Gustavo Gómez and questioned the build-up to Flamengo’s spot-kick and VAR’s role.
• Filipe Luís argued that neither side was harmed by officiating and needled Palmeiras, while Abel said games with referee Wilton Pereira Sampaio have repeatedly been problematic but praised his team’s display.
• Off the field, ABCD’s surprise anti-doping visits to both training centers drew a Flamengo protest as the authority defended its procedures, and a court order continues to freeze R$77 million in TV-rights funds pending Flamengo’s justification of the broad block, as both teams now pivot to Libertadores semifinals this week (Flamengo vs. Racing on Wednesday; Palmeiras at LDU on Thursday).