RIO DE JANEIRO, Nov. 8 (Xinhua) -- Alan Patrick and Kayke both netted braces as Flamengo defeated Goias 4-1 in Brazil's Serie A championship on Sunday.?
Goias forward Erik canceled out Patrick's opener on the stroke of halftime before the latter - who is on loan from Shakhtar Donetsk - added a second goal just after halftime.?
Kayke then struck twice within 15 minutes to guarantee Flamengo their 15th win of the season.?
The result at the Maracana stadium lifted the Rio de Janeiro outfit to 11th in the standings while Goias remained 17th.?
In Belo Horizonte, former Brazil international striker Leandro Damiao was on target in Cruzeiro's 2-1 win over Sao Paulo. The defending champions are 10th, six points adrift of the Copa Libertadores places with four matches remaining.?
And in Sao Paulo, Vasco da Gama kept alive their hopes of avoiding relegation with a 2-0 defeat of Palmeiras. Vasco are second last with 33 points, at least two points from safety.?