Campeonato Brasileiro leaders Fluminense beat Vasco da Gama 1-0 to keep the chasing pack at bay.

A single goal from Tarta after just three minutes was enough to give Flu the points and keep them one point clear of Corinthians and Cruzeiro, who also won. A goal in each half from Elias and Dentinho gave Corinthians a 2-0 win at Sao Paulo, while Thiago Ribeiro scored the only goal in Cruzeiro's 1-0 victory at Vitoria.

Fourth-placed Botafogo drew 0-0 at struggling Avai, while Atletico Paranaense were 1-0 winners at Flamengo courtesy of Paulo Baier's 39th-minute penalty. Leandro Amaro scored after 41 minutes to give Palmeiras a 1-0 win over Guarani.

Gremio Prudente stunned ten-man Goias, claiming a 4-1 win in their bottom-of-the-table clash. Prudente are all but doomed, but they showed spirit to fight back from Rafael Moura's early goal going in level at half-time thanks to Joao Vitor's strike. Willian Jose completed the turnaround before Rafael Toloi saw red after 62 minutes, and goals from Wesley and Rhayner rounded off the scoring.