Rodenei's dismissal helps Flamengo take control of Brasileirão race | OneFootball

Internacional captain Rodrigo Dourado has slammed the decision to send off Rodenei in the crucial top-of-the-table clash with Flamengo on Sunday.

With the game poised delicately at 1-1 early in the second half, referee Raphael Claus issued a red card after a VAR review of Rodenei’s challenge on Filipe Luís.

The irony is that the right-back is on loan at Internacional from Flamengo, and was only available after an Inter fan donated the R$1m (€150,000) needed to cover the clause in the agreement that would allow him to face his parent club.

There was no doubt that it was a nasty tackle, but it was only a split-second late and could easily have been punished with a booking.

“It’s sad. Filipe Luís, who suffered the foul, told the judge that it was unintentional. Diego was asking for a yellow card at most,” Dourado told Brazilian station Premiere (via Gazeta Esportiva).

“This guy (Raphael Claus) came to ruin such an important game for us, decisive in the championship. It is hard to talk. I’m sure you made a mistake, you didn’t need to expel, you ruined the show.

“Flamengo is also a great team, they didn’t need that to win. Now, in the last round, we will try to win and hope for them to draw.”

Edenílson had given the Colorado a 12th-minute lead from the penalty spot before Giorgian De Arrascaeta equalised for the hosts just short of the half-hour mark.

Gabriel Barbosa then struck in the 63rd minute to give the Rubro-Negro a two-point lead at the summit of the Brasileirão heading into the last round of fixtures.

A win at São Paulo on Thursday will secure a seventh league title for the Mengão.