RIO DE JANEIRO, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- Spain striker Diego Costa and Brazil forward Hulk netted first-half goals as leaders Atletico Mineiro extended their unbeaten run to 13 matches with a 3-0 home victory over Sport Recife in the Brazilian Serie A on Saturday.

Costa opened the scoring at the Mineirao by meeting a Guilherme Arana cross with a powerful header that left goalkeeper Mailson with no chance.

Arana was again the creator on the stroke of halftime when his slide-rule pass found Hulk, who dribbled around a defender and slotted home his eighth goal of the campaign.

Chile forward Eduardo Vargas, introduced as a second-half substitute for Hulk, completed the rout by converting a 99th-minute penalty after a Rafael Thyere hand ball.

The result means Atletico maintain their seven-point lead at the top of the 20-team standings with 45 points from 20 outings. The Belo Horizonte outfit have not lost in the league since a 2-0 defeat at Santos on June 27.

Sport have now gone seven matches without a victory and are second last with 17 points.

In other Brazilian Serie A fixtures on Saturday, Athletico Paranaense won 2-1 at home to Juventude and Palmeiras prevailed 2-0 at Chapecoense. Enditem

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