Flamengo claimed an emphatic 4-1 victory at Maracanã on Friday, in a game valid for the fourth round of the Guanabara Cup.
It was a game where Fla fully dominated proceedings. Surprisingly, it was a quiet first half but the floodgates opened up in the second period. All five goals in the match were scored in the second half.
Vitinho broke the deadlock via a stunning strike from outside the area. Not long after, Pedro doubled Fla’s lead after building on a counter attack that ended with a beautiful goal. Paulo Victor reduced the deficit for Resende just after the hour mark.
There was still more to come from Flamengo. Having only come off the bench in the second half, Rodrigo Muniz put the game beyond doubt late on. The 19-year-old completed the rout with a brace, one of his goals coming via a difficult first shot after breezing past Matheuzinho.
Defender Bruno Viana also made his first professional debut for Flamengo in the win over Resende. The player, who is on loan from Braga, was not at his best in defense but showed quality when with the ball and was decent overall.
After three games with the club’s younger setup, Flamengo welcomed the return of some of their senior players as well. Hugo Souza, Renê, Léo Pereira, Pedro and Vitinho were the players who featured after the break from the just concluded Brazilian Championship campaign.
With the win, Flamengo moved temporarily to the top of the first phase of the Guanabara Cup, with a tally of nine points. Resende are in seventh place with four points.
For their next outing, Fla will travel to take on Botafogo this Wednesday. Resende will face Volta Redonda on Tuesday at the Estádio do Trabalho stadium.
