Vasco da Gama secured a crucial 1-0 victory over Athletico-PR at São Januário on Sunday night, giving their fans a much-needed win in the 15th round of the 2026 Brazilian Serie A. Thiago Mendes’ first-half strike was enough to seal the triumph and snap a two-game winless streak in the league.
With the result, Vasco climbed to 20 points and jumped to eighth place in the standings, extending their unbeaten run to four matches in all competitions—three wins and one draw. On the other side, Athletico-PR missed a golden opportunity to break into the top four after stumbles by Fluminense and São Paulo. The loss left them on 23 points in fifth place, one point behind the Paulista team.
The match started with Vasco on the front foot. In the opening minute, Andrés Gómez delivered a precise cross for Spinelli, whose header forced a brilliant save from Santos on the goal line. Moments later, Cuesta headed a corner onto the post, and Spinelli again tested Santos’ reflexes. Athletico-PR responded at the 12-minute mark through João Cruz, who cut inside and shot, but Léo Jardim was equal to the effort.
Vasco’s pressure eventually paid off in the 36th minute. After Adson and Spinelli were denied by Santos, Puma Rodríguez set up Thiago Mendes on the edge of the box, and the midfielder unleashed a powerful strike to open the scoring. The goal sparked a reaction from the visitors, and just before halftime, Luiz Gustavo forced another save from Léo Jardim, sending Vasco into the break with a 1-0 lead.
In the second half, Vasco opted to manage the advantage rather than push forward aggressively. That approach nearly backfired in the 54th minute when Thiago Mendes misplaced a pass, allowing Gilberto to intercept and feed Luiz Gustavo, whose long-range effort crashed off the crossbar. Two minutes later, Léo Derik slipped past Puma Rodríguez and set up João Cruz, but the forward fired wide with the goal at his mercy.
As Athletico-PR dominated possession and Vasco sat deeper, the game slowed down. The visitors struggled to find a cutting edge, while Vasco had a chance to seal the win in the 40th minute when Lucas Piton crossed for Brenner, who headed wide. Ultimately, the home side held firm to secure the victory at São Januário.
Both teams return to action in the 16th round of the Brasileirão next weekend. Vasco will travel to the Beira-Rio stadium to face Internacional on Saturday at 18:30, while Athletico-PR will host Flamengo at the Arena da Baixada on Sunday at 19:30. However, before that, they turn their attention to the Copa do Brasil, where Vasco host Paysandu on Wednesday at 19:00, and Athletico-PR visit Atlético-GO on Thursday in Goiânia.
**Match Details:**
– **Lineups:**
– **Vasco:** Léo Jardim; Puma Rodríguez, Cuesta, Robert Renan, Lucas Piton (Lucas Freitas); Hugo Moura, Thiago Mendes, Rojas (Tchê Tchê); Adson (Nuno Moreira), Spinelli (Brenner), Andrés Gómez (Ramon Rique). Coach: Renato Gaúcho.
– **Athletico-PR:** Santos; Arthur Dias, Terán (Léo Derik), Aguirre; Gilberto, Luiz Gustavo (Felipinho), Portilla, João Cruz (Zapelli); Mendoza, Renan Peixoto (Isaac), Bruninho (Felipe Chiqueti). Coach: Fábio Moreno (Assistant).
– **Goal:** Thiago Mendes (36′ 1st half).
– **Yellow Cards:** Thiago Mendes, Portilla, Rojas, Robert Renan, Andrés Gómez.
– **Referee:** Raphael Claus (SP).
– **Venue:** São Januário, Rio de Janeiro (RJ).
