RIO DE JANEIRO, Dec. 3 (Xinhua) -- Samuel Lino scored a first-half winner as Flamengo clinched its eighth Brazilian Serie A title on Wednesday with a 1-0 home victory over Ceara.
Lino broke the deadlock in the 37th minute at Maracana Stadium when he ran onto Jorge Carrascal's through ball and fired low past goalkeeper Bruno Ferreira.
The visitors controlled only a quarter of possession and had just one shot on target as Flamengo moved five points clear of second-placed Palmeiras to secure the title with one matchday to spare.
"It was tough to find scoring opportunities tonight because they [Ceara] gave us very little space," Lino told reporters after the match.
"I won a title here with Flamengo in the Rio under-20 championship and today I'm part of this team that has won the league at the Maracana. I have a feeling of gratitude," the former Atletico Madrid and Valencia winger added.
The result came just four days after Flamengo secured the Copa Libertadores title - South America's premier club trophy - by beating Brazilian rivals Palmeiras in the final.
Flamengo has now won eight major trophies in the past seven years, including three Copa Libertadores crowns, three Brazilian Serie A titles and two Copa do Brasil triumphs.
The Rio de Janeiro club previously won Brazil's Serie A in 1980, 1982, 1983, 1992, 2009, 2019, 2020 and 2025.
Elsewhere in Brazil's top flight on Wednesday, Neymar scored three second-half goals as Santos eased relegation fears with a 3-0 away win over Juventude.
The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain star put his side ahead when his first-time effort flew into the top-left corner after taking a deflection. He doubled the lead just after the hour by combining with Igor Vinicius before firing into the far corner from a tight angle.
Neymar then converted from the penalty spot after Lautaro Diaz was pulled down by Marcos Paulo on the edge of the six-yard box.
Santos now has 44 points and is two points clear of the relegation zone ahead of the final match of the season against Cruzeiro at home on Sunday.
In other Brazilian top-flight fixtures on Wednesday, Palmeiras won 3-0 at Atletico Mineiro, Bahia prevailed 2-0 at home to Sport, Sao Paulo cruised to a 3-0 home win over Internacional and Fortaleza overcame Corinthians 2-1 at home. ■
