RIO DE JANEIRO, March 14 (Xinhua) -- Flamengo continued its resurgent form with a 3-0 away win over Botafogo in Brazil's Serie A on Saturday.

Samuel Lino and Leo Pereira scored first-half goals and Brazil striker Pedro added a third just after the interval as Flamengo cruised to its third consecutive league victory.

Botafogo was forced to play the entire second half with a numerical disadvantage after defender Alexander Barboza was shown a red card on the stroke of halftime.

The hosts had only one shot on target, slipping to their third defeat in four games.

"We are getting better with every match," Flamengo manager Leonardo Jardim told a post-match news conference.

"The players are prioritizing the importance of playing collectively and I'm particularly happy with the way everyone is contributing in defense. We have become a more compact team and that makes a big difference against opponents of the caliber of Botafogo."

In Saturday's only other Brazilian top flight fixture, Renato Kayzer and Erick were on target as Vitoria eased to a 2-0 home win over Atletico Mineiro. ■