Roque Brace Strengthens Palmeiras Title Charge
SAO PAULO, Nov. 7 (Xinhua) – Vitor Roque scored two second-half goals as Palmeiras secured a 2-0 home victory over Santos, extending their lead at the top of Brazil's Serie A.
Roque opened the scoring in the 67th minute at Allianz Parque by receiving a pass from Juan Manuel Lopez, dribbling past goalkeeper Gabriel Brazao, and calmly finishing into an empty net. The former Barcelona forward then sealed the win by lifting a shot over Brazao 10 minutes before the final whistle, following a through ball from Rafael Veiga.
With this win, Palmeiras reached 68 points, three points clear of second-place Flamengo. Both teams have seven matches remaining in the 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 that we made, we had great energy and looked to score at every opportunity. It's a deserved victory."
Other Serie A Matches on Thursday
- Ceara drew 1-1 at home against Fortaleza.
- Fluminense won 1-0 at home over Mirassol.
Palmeiras' strong second-half performance, led by Roque's brace, significantly boosts their championship aspirations.