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Adriano's resurgence at Flamengo continued at the weekend with a sparkling hat-trick.

BRAZIL

Brazil striker Adriano scored a hat-trick as Flamengo crushed Internacional 4-0 while Corinthians beat Sao Paulo 3-1 in their Brazilian championship derby on Sunday.

Unbeaten Atletico Mineiro opened a three-point lead at the top with 17 points from seven matches after a controversial finish to their 3-2 win at Santos.

Adriano, who left Inter Milan in April because he was unhappy in Italy and appeared to have lost his desire for football, opened the scoring the 13th minute when he lobbed keeper Lauro from the edge of the box.

Emerson increased Flamengo's lead in the 36th minute and Adriano, left out of Brazil's Confederations Cup squad due to his recent lack of regular football and form, scored with a left-footed free kick before halftime.

Adriano, who took his tally to four goals in four games, completed a hat-trick with a 68th-minute penalty after defender Leonardo Moura was brought down and despite demands from team mates Ibson and Juan that one of them should take the spot kick.

Flamengo coach Cuca will have been relieved to see his team win at home after 4-2 and 5-0 away defeats in their previous two matches had fans calling for his head.

No such luck for title holders and three-time champions Sao Paulo, who have had a week to forget, having been knocked out of the Libertadores Cup on Thursday by fellow Brazilians Cruzeiro and sacked coach Muricy Ramalho on Friday.

Midfielder Cristian, captain Chico and substitute Juciclei scored for Corinthians, while Ronaldo had a quiet game.

Richarlyson scored for Sao Paulo, who will officially unveil former Brazil captain and Monaco coach Ricardo Gomes as their new trainer on Tuesday and are 16th after one win in seven matches.

At Santos, referee Djalma Beltrame announced four minutes' stoppage time then whistled for the end of the match after only two.

Pressured by the home team's players, he restarted the match to play the remaining two minutes.

Molina then scored what appeared to be a valid equaliser only for the referee to whistle for a dubious foul on another player and send off left back Leo for protesting.

"He (the referee) got scared of complications having made a mistake by ending the game early. So, when he saw the ball go in, he invented a foul. It's absurd," Leo told reporters.

ARGENTINA

Surprise team Huracan beat Arsenal 3-0 at home to set up an Argentine Clausura championship decider against Velez Sarsfield next weekend.

Big guns River Plate and Boca Juniors both lost, Boca 2-1 at home to Gimnasia-La Plata under reserves coach Abel Alves before the expected return next week of Alfio Basile following the sacking of Carlos Ischia.

Huracan snatched the lead in the standings by one point from Velez, who were held 1-1 at Lanus, the other team who began the day with a chance of lifting the title but have dropped out of the picture.

Arsenal were a man short for more than an hour after midfielder Cristian Pellerano was sent off for a second booking and striker Mario Bolatti headed Huracan in front shortly before halftime.

Two goals in the final nine minutes sealed the win. Patricio Toranzo shot into the roof of the net from Javier Pastore's low left cross and less than two minutes later Matias Defederico, who recently won his first Argentina cap, raced between two defenders to steer home the third.

A draw at Velez will be enough for the title to go to Huracan, a modest club who have had little to cheer about since Cesar Luis Menotti steered them to their only championship in 1973 before taking charge of Argentina and leading them to World Cup victory in 1978.

Velez, looking for their sixth league title and first since 2005, have the credentials to spoil Huracan's ambitions with the best defence and only one defeat in 18 matches.

They fell behind at Lanus to a goal by Jose Sand and had midfielder Fabian Cubero sent off in the 48th minute but equalised with a 69th-minute penalty by Uruguayan striker Rodrigo Lopez.

Huracan, who have suffered relegation since their glory days but can boast the great Alfredo di Stefano among their former players, are coached by Angel Cappa, a Spain-based Argentine who espouses the same attacking ideals as Menotti.

His young team have reduced older fans to tears with their spontaneous style and goals that have made them the most prolific team of the championship.

At Boca's Bombonera stadium, Gimnasia took a surpise lead after only three minutes with a headed goal by Uruguayan forward Diego Alonso.

Boca equalised with a penalty by veteran striker Martin Palermo close to halftime but Gimnasia snatched victory with defender Ariel Aguero's header in the 54th minute.

Boca, defending champions having won the Apertura tournament in December, have 19 points, half the number of Huracan.

Sixth-placed River's 1-0 loss at Godoy Cruz to a ninth-minute goal by Ivan Borghello helped the home side stay clear of the relegation positions.

Eurosport