Flamengo absolutely thrashed Mirassol 5-1 this Sunday in the 23rd round of the 2026 Brasileirão, a result that puts them right on the heels of league leaders Palmeiras. It was a total walk in the park out in the São Paulo countryside for the Rubro-Negro, and they barely broke a sweat despite rolling with a mixed lineup ahead of a huge Libertadores match this week.
Carrascal Just Put On a Show That Mirassol Couldn’t Handle
Before the first half was even halfway done, the floodgates opened. Plata seized on a terrible goalkeeping attempt by Walter after a cross from the right and set up Carrascal to get the scoring started. Flamengo, even with a rotated squad, just controlled everything until halftime. After the break, Carrascal kept running the show, assisting Luiz Araújo for the second goal. He then wasted zero time, releasing Ayrton Lucas down the left, who crossed it for Pedro to bag the third. And just in case that wasn’t enough, the Colombian attacking midfielder led a decisive counterattack down the right and dished out yet another assist, setting up Pedro again to truly turn the win into a rout. Just moments after coming onto the pitch, Arrascaeta got in on the action, assisting Samuel Lino for Flamengo’s fifth. Mirassol did manage to pull one back when João Victor headed in Reinaldo’s corner into the six-yard box, but by then it was way too late.
The Controversy and What This Win Means for the Title Race
There was a moment of controversy in the first half when Carrascal was flying forward alone and got taken down by Mirassol’s Denílson. Referee Rafael Klein only pulled out a yellow card for the São Paulo midfielder, and let me tell you, the Nação showed their outrage with that call all over social media. But hey, it didn’t slow down the Rubro-Negro. This 5-1 demolition is Flamengo’s second straight win in the Brasileirão, pushing them to 45 points, just three points behind leaders Palmeiras, who sit at 48. Here’s the kicker: Flamengo still has a game in hand, against Mirassol of all teams, from the fourth round! If they win that postponed match, Flamengo will leapfrog Palmeiras and take the lead because they’ve already got a better goal difference at 25 to Palmeiras’ 21. Mirassol, on the other hand, is struggling, sitting in 16th place with 23 points. They hadn’t lost at home since April 11, so this thrashing hurts even more for them.
Flamengo’s momentum is insane, and they return to action this Wednesday, hosting Cruzeiro at the Maracanã for the second leg of the Libertadores round of 16. The first leg was a tight 1-1, so that’s gonna be epic! Mirassol also has a big continental match, traveling to Quito, Ecuador, on Thursday to face LDU in the same stage of the Libertadores, after their first leg also ended 1-1. Get ready for some wild midweek football!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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