Corinthians beat Palmeiras, extend lead in Brazil Serie A

Corinthians extended their lead at the top of Brazil's Serie A standings with a 3-2 victory over fellow title contenders Palmeiras.

Angel Romero and Fabian Balbuena gave the hosts a 2-0 advantage with strikes from close range on Sunday, but Palmeiras narrowed the margin when Colombian defender Yerry Mina met a Dudu cross with a glancing header, reports Xinhua news agency.

Former Manchester City striker Jo netted his team's third goal from the penalty spot before Palmeiras midfielder Moises fired into the top corner after a set piece.

The result gave Corinthians a six-point buffer at the top of the 20-team standings while Palmeiras dropped to fourth, eight points off the pace.

In other matches on Sunday, Cruzeiro beat Atletico Paranaense 1-0, Gremio overcame Flamengo 1-0, Bahia outclassed Ponte Preta 2-0, Sport drew 1-1 at Chapecoense and Vitoria held Vasco da Gama to a 1-1 draw here.

--IANS

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