Author: Vishwajit Sawant
Introduction: The last round of matches in the Série A Brasileirão featured some captivating clashes, including Cruzeiro’s resurgence, Gremio’s surprising comeback, an exciting battle between Bahia and Coritiba and Fortaleza’s winning preview against Corinthians ahead of the Copa Sudamericana.
Fortaleza beat Corinthians 2-1
Fortaleza beat Corinthians 2-1 in the 23rd round of the Brazilian Championship at the Arena Castelão in the capital of Ceará. Lucero and Yago Pikachu scored for Fortaleza, while Pedro netted for Corinthians.
The match served as a prelude to the upcoming clashes in the Copa Sudamericana semi-finals, where they will meet three times in just 19 days. Fortaleza, under the leadership of Vojvoda, kept up their dominant style, controlling possession and pressing on the Corinthians pitch.
In the 25th minute, a defensive error by Corinthians led to Lucero’s goal, followed by Pedro’s quick equalizer for Timão. Although Fortaleza celebrated a sensational goal from Marinho, the goal was disallowed due to a handball confirmed by the VAR. Later, Marinho missed a penalty.
In the 48th minute, Yago Pikachu secured Fortaleza’s victory with a powerful shot, sealing a thrilling win that sets the stage for the next Copa Sudamericana clashes on September 26 and October 3. Fortaleza are currently in 8th place with 35 points, while Corinthians are in 14th with 26 points and a game in hand.
Cruzeiro end eight-game losing streak with convincing 3-0 win over Santos on Zé Ricardo’s debut
In a long-awaited turnaround, Cruzeiro got a much-needed win, breaking an agonizing run of eight games without a win in the Campeonato Brasileiro. Celeste beat Santos 3-0 at Vila Belmiro on matchday 23, marking the debut of new coach Zé Ricardo, who replaced the recently sacked Pepa.
Matheus Jussa, Bruno Rodrigues and Nikão were the heroes of the night, each contributing a goal to ensure Cruzeiro’s resounding triumph.
This win was a welcome relief for the team, who had last won on July 8, when they beat Vasco 1-0. With renewed hope, Cruzeiro’s next challenge is set for September 20, when they face Fluminense at the Maracanã.
Former player Ronaldo, one of the main members of Cruzeiro’s SAF (Sociedade Anônima do Futebol), watched the game from one of the VIP boxes at Vila Belmiro, witnessing first-hand the positive impact of Zé Ricardo’s leadership.
This victory marked the first time in this season’s Campeonato Brasileiro that Cruzeiro have beaten the same opponent twice, after beating Santos 2-1 at Independência. Santos, on the other hand, are facing increasing pressure as they continue their fight to escape the relegation zone.
Bahia recover and beat Coritiba 4-2 in decisive match
In a decisive clash with relegation implications in the Brazilian Championship, Bahia orchestrated a remarkable comeback, securing a 4-2 victory against Coritiba at the Couto Pereira stadium on Thursday night. This match witnessed several noteworthy moments, including the debuts of Algerian striker Slimani and Greek midfielder Samaris for Coritiba, while Bahia introduced coach Rogério Ceni.
Despite Coritiba taking the lead with a goal from Sebastián Gómez in the first minute, Bahia orchestrated an impressive comeback in the first half. Rafael Ratão, Thaciano and Ademir scored in the 10th, 29th and 33rd minutes respectively. In the second half, Biel, returning from injury, scored the fourth goal in the 28th minute, sealing Bahia’s crucial victory. Andrey scored a consolation goal for Coritiba in extra time.
Bahia moved up to 15th place with 25 points, while Coritiba remain bottom of the table with 14 points, 11 points off the safety zone.
Grêmio’s shocking performance leads to 2-0 defeat at Red Bull Bragantino
In an extremely poor display, Grêmio suffered a disappointing 2-0 defeat to Red Bull Bragantino in the 23rd round of the Brazilian Championship at the Nabi Abi Chedid stadium. Massa Bruta secured their victory with goals from João Pedro and Vitinho.
Gremio’s performance was far from creditable, as they struggled to find their feet throughout the match. In the first half, Bragantino dominated, with Helinho and Lucas Evangelista threatening the goal.
A bizarre twist came in the 19th minute, when Jadsom’s low shot was inadvertently redirected into the net by Grêmio’s João Pedro, a peculiar and costly own goal that gave Bragantino the lead.
The problems continued for Grêmio in the second half, with their attacking attempts thwarted by the Bragantino defense. Eric Ramires had a goal disallowed and André missed a golden opportunity.
Grêmio’s mediocre performance left their fans disappointed, and the match ended with the Bragantino fans chanting “Olé” when their team came close to scoring a third goal. Fortunately for Grêmio, two other Bragantino goals were disallowed.