RIO DE JANEIRO, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- Matheus Martins came off the bench to score twice as Botafogo romped to a 4-1 home victory over Flamengo in Brazil's Serie A championship on Sunday.

Mateo Ponte headed Botafogo ahead in the third minute before Bruno Henrique equalized with a delightful chip over goalkeeper John Furtado on the counterattack.

Igor Jesus restored Botafogo's lead just after halftime and Argentine playmaker Thiago Almada missed the chance to extend the lead when his penalty attempt was saved by Agustin Rossi.

Martins replaced Almada in the 74th minute and the former Udinese winger made an immediate impact.

He combined with Jefferson Savarino to slot home from 15 yards and added another goal by running past David Luiz and firing a left-footed shot that beat Rossi at his near post.

"I'm really happy with the start I'm having here," Martins, who joined Botafogo in July, told reporters after the match.

"It's a great feeling to win like we did against a big rival like Flamengo. We have to continue working hard and make sure that our feet stay on the ground because we have some important games coming up," he added.

The result saw Botafogo regain their lead in Brazil's 20-team Serie A standings with 46 points from 23 games, a point clear of second-placed Fortaleza. Flamengo are fourth, five points off the pace.

In other Brazilian Serie A fixtures on Sunday, Atletico Goianiense won 1-0 at home to Internacional, Vasco da Gama drew 2-2 at Criciuma, Palmeiras prevailed 2-1 at home to Sao Paulo and Juventude secured a 2-1 victory at Athletico Paranaense. Enditem

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