Hulk’s two goals lift Fluminense to a 3-1 win over Corinthians

Fluminense lead at the interval

Fluminense defeated Corinthians 3-1 at Neo Quimica Arena on Sunday, September 20, in Serie A’s 28th round. The visitors led 1-0 at half-time after Hulk opened the scoring in the 24th minute. Luciano Acosta supplied the assist, giving Fluminense a reward for a direct attacking move before the break.

Corinthians, managed by Fernando Diniz in a 4-2-3-1, made an early second-half change, replacing Iago Machado with Gui Negão at 45 minutes. The adjustment helped the home side level in the 56th minute, when Gustavo Henrique scored a normal goal. His finish brought Corinthians back into the match and briefly shifted the scoreline in their favour.

Hulk restores Fluminense’s advantage

The decisive turning point came in the 76th minute. Hulk scored his second goal of the match after an assist from Paulo Henrique Chagas de Lima, putting Fluminense back in front. The visitors then added a third in the 90th minute, with Kevin Serna converting from a pass by Matheus Martinelli Lima.

Fluminense coach Marcão made several changes around the key stages of the game. Julio César Lima Fidelis and Paulo Henrique Chagas de Lima entered in the 59th minute, while Riquelme Felipe·Silva de Almeida and Hércules Pereira do Nascimento came on at 76 minutes. Corinthians later introduced Jesse Lingard for André in the 80th minute, but could not find another equaliser.

Corinthians controlled the ball but lacked the result

The statistics show a more competitive match than the final score alone suggests. Corinthians held 59% possession and completed 453 accurate passes from 513 attempts, compared with Fluminense’s 342 accurate passes from 409. The home side also attempted 20 shots to Fluminense’s 10 and won 11 corners without forcing a different outcome.

Fluminense were more efficient with their opportunities. Corinthians recorded seven shots on goal and Fluminense six, while the visitors’ goalkeeper Fábio made six saves. Corinthians also had 11 shots inside the box, compared with eight for Fluminense, but Hulk’s two goals and Serna’s late finish gave the away side the sharper final product.

Discipline and league impact

Fluminense collected five yellow cards, including bookings for Samuel Xavier Brito, Matheus Martinelli Lima, Agustín Canobbio, Julio César Lima Fidelis and Gustavo Nonato Santana. Corinthians received three, shown to Memphis Depay, Matheuzinho and André. There were no red cards.

The result lifts Fluminense from 45 points after 27 matches to 48 after 28, while Corinthians remain on 32 points after the same number of games. The supplied table had Fluminense fifth and Corinthians 14th before the fixture. Hulk was the standout performer, earning a 9.1 rating after scoring twice in 87 minutes and registering three shots on target. Gustavo Henrique’s goal made him Corinthians’ highest-rated player at 7.4.