Roque Brace Strengthens Palmeiras Title Charge
SAO PAULO, Nov. 7 (Xinhua) — Vitor Roque scored twice in the second half as Palmeiras extended its lead at the top of Brazil's Serie A with a 2-0 home win over Santos on Thursday.
Roque opened the scoring in the 67th minute at Allianz Parque, running onto Juan Manuel Lopez's pass, passing goalkeeper Gabriel Brazao, and finishing into an empty net. Ten minutes later, the former Barcelona forward doubled the advantage by chipping the ball over Brazao after receiving Rafael Veiga's through pass.
The victory leaves Palmeiras on 68 points, three clear of second-placed Flamengo, with both teams having seven matches remaining in the league season.
“In the first half we weren't able to translate our dominance into goals,” Palmeiras manager Abel Ferreira said. “But that changed after halftime. With the changes we made, the energy improved and we looked to score at every opportunity. It's a deserved victory.”
In other Thursday matches, Ceara played out a 1-1 draw at home with Fortaleza, while Fluminense secured a 1-0 win against Mirassol.
Author’s Summary
Vitor Roque guided Palmeiras to a crucial 2-0 win over Santos, widening their Serie A lead and keeping them in strong contention for the championship.