Andreas Pereira left Palmeiras in a tough spot against Athletico.
But Palmeiras held on to the comfortable lead they had built early in the clash at the Arena da Baixada.
And won Saturday's (17) match 2-0.
Taking top spot in the Brasileirão before Flamengo took to the pitch.
Was Mycael at fault for both goals?
Even without the suspended Giay and Gustavo Gómez, and with Marlon Freitas and Arias being rested, Palmeiras pushed the tempo from the start.
And took the lead after Maurício refused to give up on the ball and beat Mycael (6').
Verdão struck again in the 10th minute when Piquerez caught Mycael off guard.
Was Andreas naive?
A ball was thrown onto the pitch by an Athletico fan.
Play continued as normal.
And Andreas Pereira, who had already been booked for a foul on Jadson, kicked that ball towards the one Luiz Gustavo had in his possession.
Referee Paulo César Zanovelli da Silva showed him a second yellow card, sending him off in the 42nd minute.
Athletico try, but...
Abel shored up the midfield by bringing on Marlon Freitas.
Odair, meanwhile, added more firepower up front.
Athletico began to control proceedings against opponents looking to catch them on the counterattack.
Viveros tried to make the difference.
The problem for Athletico was a lack of cutting edge against a Palmeiras side that coped well with the pressure.
Carlos Miguel's fine save in stoppage time was a highlight.
How the table stands 📊
Athletico remain on 53 points.
They could be overtaken by Fluminense (51), who host Santos.
They return to action on Saturday (24), away to Vitória.
Verdão, meanwhile, moved up to 66 points. Two more than Flamengo.
Palmeiras' title rivals face Bahia in Salvador.
Palmeiras' focus now shifts back to the Libertadores.
They will face Fluminense again, but this time at Nubank Parque.
The second leg of the Libertadores semifinal takes place next Wednesday (21), following their 2-1 win at the Maracanã.
On Saturday (24), their league opponents will be Red Bull Bragantino. In Barueri.
Featured photo: Cesar Greco/Palmeiras
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.