Author: Serg Atrakhov, Vishwajit Sawant
Red Bull Bragantino – Cuiabá – 2:0
Although Cuiabá created some promising chances – Wellington Silva shot close to the post (26 mins) – it was Bragantino who took the lead. In the 55th minute, Realpe hit the crossbar with a header into the box – Borbas finished – 1-0. Wellington Silva and Deyverson could have equalized, but Clayton made two saves. In the 83rd minute, the hosts put together a brilliant combination, which ended with a shot from Talisson – 2-0. With the win, Bragantino maintained their position in the G6, while Cuiabá suffered their third consecutive setback.
América MG – São Paulo – 2:1
In this match, the Copa Sudamericana quarter-finalists, who had lost their first games, faced each other. São Paulo lost to LDU (1-2) and América, in the same stadium, to Fortaleza (1-3).
São Paulo, focused on the South American Cup, suffered from a mixed team composition. In the 62nd minute, Gonzalo Mastriani completed a fine combination for the hosts with a goal – 1-0. Twelve minutes later, he received a red card. After eight minutes, Iago Maidana was fouled in the penalty area. Pato (who had come on as a substitute shortly before) hit the goalkeeper badly. But he managed to finish the ball into the net, past goalkeeper Matheus – 1:1. Rodrigo Varanda, who was undeterred by the numerical advantage, secured victory for “América-MG”, scoring in the 91st minute – 2:1. His team are still in last place, but are now three points closer to safety.
Atlético-MG – Santos – 2:0
Atlético-MG celebrated the successful inauguration of the MRV Arena in Belo Horizonte. In a celebratory mood, the fans witnessed a great interaction between Hulk and Paulinho. Hulk provided two assists, in the 13th and 68th minutes. The referee also disallowed two more goals for the hosts. Paulinho (21st minute) and Battaglia (60th minute) were offside. And in the 79th minute, Hulk hit the crossbar with a long-range shot.
The win moved Atlético up to eighth place in the Serie A standings with 30 points, while Santos remained in the relegation zone in 17th place with 21 points. It should be noted that, on this significant day, Atlético also celebrated their title in the 1937 Tournament of Champions, reinforcing their status as three-time national champions.
Botafogo – Bahia – 3:0
Hosts striker Diego Costa scored his first two goals for his new team (5th and 52nd minutes). First he released Marcos Felipe and then he closed down the flank. In the 77th minute, Luis Enrique added the final touch – he beat the goalkeeper and rolled it into the empty net – 3-0! Note that in the 69th minute, Janderson hit the post. The visitors had two chances to score, but Lucas Perri saved shots from Tasiano and Diego Rosa.
The victory, boosted by a capacity crowd at the Nilton Santos stadium, maintained Botafogo’s unblemished home record and increased their lead to 51 points. Bahia, on the other hand, still have 21 points. Botafogo fans celebrated their achievement by watching Vasco’s result against Palmeiras, hoping to increase their 11-point lead at the top of the league.
Athletico PR – Fluminense – 2:2
The game was “hot” at the Ligga Arena. Kaká and Vitor Roque stood out for the hosts, while Guga and João Neto responded for Fluminense. The hosts took the lead 13 minutes into the first half, but fell behind in the 21st minute after Kaue was sent off. Before the break, Leo Linck saved two attempts at an equalizer from Leonardo Fernandez. And in the 76th and 87th minutes, Fluminense finally managed to take advantage of their numerical advantage. But in the 93rd minute, Roque headed the ball home – 2-2.
The result was not favorable to either club, with Atlético dropping to seventh place with 33 points and Fluminense falling to fifth place with 35 points. Both teams are hoping to bounce back in their next games: Fluminense are preparing for their Libertadores clash with Olimpia, while Atlético will face them in the 22nd round of the Brazilian championship.
Fortaleza – Coritiba – 3:1
The main star of the match was Argentinian striker Martin Lucero, who scored twice in the first half. In the 38th minute, the referee didn’t react to the infringement, but after watching the VAR, he awarded a penalty – 1:0. At 45+4, the hosts went on the attack, the ball bounced off the goalkeeper and fell to Lucero, who rolled it into the empty net – 2:0. That goal shook the visitors psychologically before the break. In the 60th minute, Marinho scored from a free-kick – the Coritiba goalkeeper made a childish mistake and knocked the ball out of his hands – 3-0. In the 68th minute, Kushchevich reduced the score for the visitors, and in the 84th minute, Robson hit Fortaleza’s crossbar from the penalty spot.
The win solidified Fortaleza’s position in 8th place with 32 points, bringing them closer to the league leaders. Despite their attempts to counter-attack, Coritiba’s difficulties continued, pushing them down to the penultimate position in the relegation zone.
Palmeiras – Vasco – 1:0
Palmeiras secured a narrow 1-0 win over Vasco with an impressive free-kick from Raphael Veiga in the 21st round of the Brazilian Championship at Allianz Parque. The match was marked by the intervention of the VAR, which disallowed a fine goal by Paulinho due to a fraction of offside (in the 16th minute). Veiga’s remarkable goal, 20 minutes into the second half, sealed the victory for Palmeiras, helping them maintain second place in the league with 40 points. Despite Vasco’s best efforts, the team is still in the relegation zone, in 18th place with 16 points.
Gremio – Cruzeiro – 3:0
Cruzeiro’s difficulties persisted with a 3-0 defeat to Grêmio in the 21st round of the Campeonato Brasileiro at the Arena in Porto Alegre. Gremio’s goals, scored by Luis Suárez, Carballo and Pepê, underlined their dominance in the match. Although the VAR initially disallowed a goal from Suárez, he later scored, ending his goal drought. The defeat marked Cruzeiro’s seventh consecutive match without a win in the league, leaving them in 12th place on 25 points. Gremio’s victory moved them up to G4 with 36 points, recovering from their previous defeat against Santos.