SAO PAULO — Corinthians routed Atletico Goianiense 3-0 to retake the Brazilian league lead on Sunday in a match that marked the long-awaited debut of former Brazil striker Adriano.
Corinthians came into the weekend trailing Vasco da Gama by two points, but the Rio de Janeiro rival relinquished first place after a 3-0 loss at Internacional. Argentine playmaker Andres D'Alessandro scored a goal and set up another for Inter.
In a thriller at Rio, Flamengo rallied to defeat rival Fluminense 3-2 behind two late goals by Argentine playmaker Dario Bottinelli, came off the bench to score with long-range shots four minutes apart just before the final whistle.
Adriano played his first match since rupturing his left Achilles' tendon just days after being acquired by Corinthians in March. Still out of shape, he entered the match in the 79th minute to a huge ovation from the crowd.
"It was gratifying to hear the crowd," Adriano told local reporters. "With time I'll be able to gain my space and help Corinthians. I'm not in my best physical condition yet."
The victory gave Corinthians 51 points, one more than Vasco and four more than Sao Paulo and Flamengo. Corinthians played the late match knowing a victory would jolt it to the lead again for the first time in five rounds. It had led the competition for 17 straight weeks before being surpassed by Vasco.
Defender Leandro Castan opened the scoring Sunday with a header in the ninth minute at the packed Pacaembu stadium in Sao Paulo. Striker Willian made it 2-0 with a shot from the top of the area in the 37th and playmaker Alex added the third with an angled shot from inside the penalty box in the 42nd.
The result snapped Atletico Goianiense's six-match unbeaten streak and left the club in 12th place in the 20-team standings.
Corinthians is seeking its fifth Brazilian league title, the first since it won the championship led by Argentine striker Carlos Tevez.
Vasco allowed three second-half goals in its loss to Internacional at the Beira-Rio stadium in Porto Alegre.
D'Alessandro put Inter ahead with a shot from just inside the area in the 49th, then made a cross that led to the second goal, scored by defender Indio in the 76th. Midfielder Tinga closed the scoring from close-range in the 89th to move Internacional to seventh in the standings.
Flamengo twice trailed Fluminense at the Engenhao stadium in Rio, but Bottinelli came through with two powerful long-range shots late in the match.
He scored on a free kick in the 86th, when the ball hit the crossbar and bounced off goalkeeper Diego Cavalieri before crossing the line. Then he netted the winner in the 89th with a right-footed shot that found the far corner.
Argentine midfielder Manuel Lanzini had scored Fluminense's second goal.
Also Sunday, striker Borges scored his league-leading 20th goal to give Santos a 1-0 win over Luiz Felipe Scolari's Palmeiras at the Vila Belmiro stadium in Santos.
Santos got the win despite playing without striker Neymar, who is with Brazil's national team, and injured midfielders Elano and Paulo Henrique Ganso.
On Saturday, Botafogo missed a chance to move closer to the leaders by drawing 2-2 with Bahia at home, despite playing with an extra man since the first half at the Sao Januario stadium in Rio. Botafogo had a chance to win five minutes into second-half injury time, but a header by former Brazil midfielder Renato struck the post.
Botafogo played without star striker Sebastian "El Loco" Abreu, who was with the Uruguayan national team. Suspended Argentine striker German Herrera also was absent, as was goalkeeper Jefferson, who was with the Brazilian national team.
Botafogo, which still has a game in hand, is fifth in the standings, five points behind Corinthians.
Also Saturday, Gremio's three-match winning streak was halted by a 2-0 loss at Coritiba, while Atletico Mineiro and America drew 0-0 in Sete Lagoas in a result that left both teams in the relegation zone.
Sao Paulo drew Cruzeiro 3-3 in Sete Lagoas last Wednesday. Striker Luis Fabiano, in his second match after debuting following surgery, missed a first-half penalty kick.
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