Corinthians secure sixth straight victory

Rio de Janeiro, June 15: Corinthians extended their lead at the top of Brazil’s Serie A standings on Thursday with a 1-0 home victory over Cruzeiro, their sixth straight win. Paraguay intertiol centre-back Fabian Balbue put Corinthians ahead with a header on the stroke of halftime and the hosts held on to secure their sixth win from seven matches, reports Xinhua news agency. The result gave the six-time Brazilian champions a four-point buffer at the top of the standings, though second-placed Gremio have a game in hand. Meanwhile, Flamengo ended a run of four matches without a win with a 2-0 home victory over Ponte Preta. IANS