Flamengo win as VAR frustrates Santos

SANTOS (Reuters) - Champions Flamengo got back to winning ways with a 1-0 victory at Santos on Sunday but it was not without controversy as the home side had two first-half goals ruled out thanks to VAR.

The visitors took advantage and scored the winner on the stroke of halftime when Gabriel Barbosa hammered the ball home from an angle after a quick counter attack.

Both sides had chances to score more in a game that was dominated by Santos in the first period and more evenly fought in the second, albeit with 12 yellow cards.

It was Flamengo’s second win in six league matches under new coach Domenec Torrent and lifted them into ninth palace in the Serie A with eight points from six games.

Santos dropped below them to 10th, with seven points.

(Reporting by Andrew Downie, editing by Pritha Sarkar)