Author: Vishwajit Sawant
Athletico-PR – Red Bull Bragantino – 1:1
In a thrilling encounter at the Ligga Arena in Curitiba, Athletico-PR and Red Bull Bragantino played out a 1-1 draw in the 26th round of the Brazilian Championship. At the end of the first half, the teams exchanged goals. Erik Ramirez’s precise shot was efficiently marked by Pablo. At the start of the second half, Erick hit the post and missed the chance to put Atlético ahead.
With this result, Athletico-PR moved up to 8th place in the league standings with 41 points, thanks in part to Coritiba’s victory over Atlético-MG. Meanwhile, Red Bull Bragantino remained in second place on 46 points, but saw leaders Botafogo increase their lead to nine points. After the FIFA break, Athletico-PR take on Gremio, while Bragantino visit Santos.
Atlético-MG – Coritiba – 1:2
In a surprising turnaround, Coritiba beat Atlético-MG 2-1 on Sunday at the MRV Arena. The goals came in the second half, with Hulk opening the scoring for Atlético-MG with a header and Matheus Bianqui equalizing for Coritiba with a fine long-range shot. And Slimani sealed the turnaround with a skillful individual move in the 91st minute.
This was Coritiba’s second win in a row and they climbed from 20th to 19th place. Atlético-MG, who are fighting for a place in the Copa Libertadores, are eighth, one point behind the top six. The defeat also ended Atlético-MG’s unbeaten run at the MRV Arena, where they had won every match without conceding a goal.
After the FIFA break, Atlético-MG will face Palmeiras at Allianz Parque on the 19th, while Coritiba will host Cuiabá at Couto Pereira the day before.
Fortaleza – América MG – 3:2
In a breathtaking match, Fortaleza recovered from an early 2-0 deficit against América in the Brasileirão on Sunday night at the Arena Castelão. The visitors took the lead – 2-0 in the 23rd minute. However, Fortaleza managed to turn the game around with Lucero, Machuca and Bruno Pacheco scoring the goals. This impressive turnaround secured a thrilling 3-2 victory for Fortaleza and moved them up to sixth place in the Campeonato Brasileiro standings on 42 points after matchday 26. América, on the other hand, remain in a difficult position in the league, in last place with just 18 points.