Brazilian championship hotting up... finally

Lord almighty, I feel my temperature rising!

Alopecic midfielder and old-timer Elvis fan Paulo Baier set the Brazilian championship alight last Saturday by leading Goiás to a 2-1 away victory at leaders Grêmio.

BaierâÂÂs superb performance, which included a goal from a corner â or Olympic Goal, as we call it in Brazil â prevented the Porto Alegre squad from building a nine-point advantage over Palmeiras.

And it got worse for Grêmio. The next day, they saw their lead cut to just three points when Palmeiras beat Cruzeiro in a crucial clash between the second and third placed teams at the Mineirão Stadium. Diego Souza netted a class winner to shift the momentum in favour of Vanderlei LuxemburgoâÂÂs Boys in Green.

As the manicured gaffer predicted, the championship has turned on its head since the closure of the transfer window. Flamengo, who topped the table for most of the first half of the tournament, lost a handful of key players and are on the slide in 7th. Now, they would be more than happy bagging a Copa Libertadores spot (the top four qualify).


Flamengo: On the slide after strong start 

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