Corinthians rise to third in Brazil`s Serie A

Sao Paulo: A first-half strike from midfielder Petros gave Corinthians a 1-0 victory over Atletico Mineiro in Brazil's Serie A championship.

Petros struck with a low first-time finish after Angel Romero's precise cross at the Itaquerao stadium Thursday, reports Xinhua.

The result lifted Corinthians to third in the standings with 36 points from 20 matches while Atletico Mineiro slid to eighth, six points further back.

In Thursday's only other match Cruzeiro defeated Bahia 2-1 at Belo Horizonte's Mineirao stadium.

The result maintained the defending champions' seven-point lead at the top of the table while Bahia remain in last place.