Brazilian club runs out of steam in championship race despite leading by 14 points

Brazil led the second-placed team by 14 points at one point, but Botafogo won only two of their next 15 games and lost their top spot.

Botafogo could make history in Brazil's Serie A this season, but in an unexpected way. They have won 15 of their first 19 games to take a huge lead in the title race. But just as everyone was thinking about Botafogo going all the way to their first national title since 1995, they started to "shoot themselves in the foot".

Botafogo had a dream start to the season and led by 14 points before falling apart. Photo: AFP

The Rio de Janeiro-based club has won just two of its next 15 games, a run that has seen Botafogo drop to second place, three points behind leaders Palmeiras with two games remaining. Botafogo are currently on 63 points, the same as Atletico Mineiro and Flamengo, but are ahead on the back of more wins.

Botafogo have no one to blame but themselves. They led Palmeiras 3-0 at home in early November but lost 4-3. They also led Gremio 3-1 and lost by the same score.

Botafogo have let a series of last-minute wins slip away to Red Bull Bragantino and Santos in recent weeks. In their most recent match on 29 November, Botafogo led relegation favourites Coritiba until the 97th minute, but were held to a draw. When Tiquinho Soares converted a stoppage-time penalty, Botafogo thought they had secured a vital three points to keep their title hopes alive. But in the 99th minute, they made a mistake on the wing and allowed Edu to equalise for Coritiba.

There are, in theory, four teams still in contention to win the Brazilian Serie A this season. Palmeiras are the favourites and will have one hand on the title if they beat seventh-placed Fluminense on December 3. Botafogo will hope that doesn't happen, as they will then close the gap on their rivals by picking up a point against Cruzeiro. In the final round on December 7, Palmeiras play at Cruzeiro while Botafogo travel to Internacional.

Meanwhile, Atletico Mineiro will play Sao Paulo and Bahia, while Flamengo will play Cuiaba and Sao Paulo. Like Botafogo, they will hope Palmeiras stumble. In the Brazilian Serie A, if two teams are level on points at the end of the season, the order is decided by the number of wins and then goal difference.

Top 4 Brazilian National Championship scoreboard.

Duy Doan (according to Daily Mail )

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