Author: Vishwajit Sawant
Flamengo – Bahia – 1:0
Flamengo beat Bahia 1-0 at the Maracanã in the Campeonato Brasileiro on Saturday. The match marked Flamengo’s first game after the sacking of Argentine coach Jorge Sampaoli, which provoked mixed reactions from the fans, who expressed their discontent.
At the end of the first half, Pulgar hit the crossbar from a free kick. The game remained even until Bahia defender Kanu was shown a straight red card after fouling Gerson at the start of the second half. The intervention of the VAR confirmed the decision, reducing Bahia to ten players.
Taking advantage of their numerical superiority, Flamengo capitalized quickly. Bruno Henrique was brought down inside the area, resulting in a penalty. Pedro converted with confidence, scoring his 98th goal in Flamengo colors.
The win moved Flamengo up to fourth place in the standings with 43 points, while Bahia remain in the relegation zone with 25 points. Amid speculation about the possible arrival of Tite as their new coach, Flamengo will face Corinthians in the next round of the Brasileirão at the Arena Neo Química. On the same day, Bahia, led by Rogério Ceni, will face Goiás, a direct rival in the fight against relegation.
Cuiabá – Fluminense – 3:0
Cuiabá suffered a shock defeat to Fluminense in a Campeonato Brasileiro match at the Arena Pantanal on Saturday. Fluminense, remembering the second leg of the Copa Libertadores against Internacional (2-2 in the first leg), fielded a predominantly reserve team. At the end of the first half, Martinelli received his second yellow card, leaving Fluminense at a disadvantage. In the second half, Clayson, Alan Emperer and Fernando Sobral took advantage of this.
Despite the defeat, Fluminense remain sixth in the Brasileirão table on 41 points. Meanwhile, Cuiabá’s victory ended a run of six games without a win and lifted them to 11th place on 32 points, comfortably clear of the relegation zone. In terms of the Brasileirão, Fluminense’s next challenge is the local derby against Botafogo on Sunday, while Cuiabá return to action on the 14th when they host Cruzeiro.
Fortaleza – Grêmio – 1:1
Fortaleza and Grêmio played out a 1-1 draw on Saturday at the Castelão in a match corresponding to the 25th round of the Brazilian Championship.
In the 4th minute, Luis Suarez hit the post from a free-kick. Fortaleza took the lead in the first half when Thiago Galhardo, a former Internacional player, calmly converted a penalty in the 44th minute. However, Gremio had the chance to level the score immediately after the penalty kick, but Cristaldo’s unfortunate slip (he shot higher) meant that the opportunity was missed.
Fortaleza continued to press in the second half, but Luis Suárez came to Gremio’s rescue. In the 80th minute, the Uruguayan received a precise pass from Reinaldo and shot coolly into the net to secure the draw.
As a result, Renato Gaúcho’s Grêmio regained second place in the standings with 44 points, while Fortaleza, in eighth place, are now concentrating on the Copa Sudamericana. The team face Corinthians in the second leg of the semi-final on Tuesday at Castelão, after drawing 1-1 in the first leg in São Paulo.
São Paulo – Corinthians – 2:1
In a thrilling encounter at the Morumbi, São Paulo beat Corinthians 2-1 in the 25th round of the Brazilian Championship. This win added to an already special week for São Paulo fans, who were still celebrating winning the Copa do Brasil last Sunday.
Jonathan Calleri was the hero for São Paulo, scoring the two goals that secured the victory for the tricolor. As a result, São Paulo move up to tenth in the Brasileirão standings on 34 points, while Corinthians remain stuck on 30.
Despite fielding a reserve team due to a decisive game against Fortaleza in South America, Corinthians surprised São Paulo early on when Romero scored with a left-footed shot in the second minute. However, São Paulo grew into the game and, in the 40th minute, Rodrigo Nestor’s shot from a corner was deflected into the goal by Calleri, leveling the score. Just five minutes later, Calleri turned the game around with a well-taken goal, putting São Paulo in the lead.
This victory marks Calleri’s fifth goal in matches against Corinthians, solidifying his status as the hero of a classic match. São Paulo will have a week to prepare for their next Brazilian Championship match against Vasco, while Corinthians face Flamengo at the Arena Neo Química next Saturday after their South American fixture against Fortaleza.
Internacional – Atlético-MG – 0:2
Inter, with a crucial Copa Libertadores game in midweek, opted to field a reserve team for this clash. Despite creating some promising chances in the first half, the team failed to open the scoring.
The second half was Atlético-MG’s. Hulk took advantage of a rebound in the 73rd minute, after a header from Alan Franco, scoring with an incredible bicycle kick. Igor Gomes sealed the win in the 81st minute, taking advantage of a defensive error.
This win moves Atlético-MG up to eighth place in the Brasileirão standings, with 40 points. This is Atlético-MG’s third consecutive win in the Campeonato Brasileiro, with an impressive record of four wins and a draw in their last five games. Atlético-MG face Coritiba next Sunday, while Internacional have a Gre-Nal derby on the same day at Beira-Rio, following their Copa Libertadores clash with Fluminense, which ended in a 2-2 draw in the first leg.