Author: Vishwajit Sawant
Santos escapes defeat to Athletico-PR with late penalty, but Alvinegro Praiano’s difficulties continue
Santos held Atlético-PR to a 1-1 draw in a thrilling match on matchday 18 of the Campeonato Brasileiro. In the 16th minute, João Basso went down in the Atlético penalty area, but the referee took a different view. Striker Pablo put Athletico ahead 30 minutes into the second half, taking advantage of Santos’ defensive errors. Over the next sixty minutes, the teams created one dangerous chance each, but the goalkeepers saved corner kicks from Madson and Rodrigo Fernandez.
Alvinegro Praiano struggled to find creativity and precision in their attacks, resorting to an excess of crosses that yielded little result. Just when the game seemed lost, luck went in Santos’ favor when the VAR identified a handball by defender Thiago Heleno, leading to a late penalty that Marcos Leonardo converted to level the score. In the final moments, Santos thought they had secured a dramatic victory with Julio Furch’s goal, but it was disallowed for offside. Note that, in total, the teams committed 45 fouls. Despite the draw, Santos are in danger of falling into the relegation zone in the Brasileirão.
Internacional and Corinthians draw 2-2 at the end of the game
The hosts should have taken the lead as early as the 10th minute, but Mauricio hit the crossbar. And three minutes later, the guests opened the scoring – Renato Augusto struck and, after the rebound, the ball ended up in the net: 0-1. In just five minutes, Internacional equalized – Bruno Enrique 1:1. In the 45th minute, Igor Gomes could have pleased the local fans, but he missed the goal from close range.
The following interesting facts occurred in the final itself. In the 85th minute, Johnny took a free-kick and Fábio Santos gave Corinthians a 1-2 lead from the penalty spot. In the 93rd minute, Carlos de Pena received his second yellow card, leaving Internacional at a disadvantage. But in the last minute of added time, former Shakhtar, Spartak and Milan player Luiz Adriano closed down Enner Valencia’s cross to make it 2-2. The result left Corinthians in 14th place with 20 points, while Internacional climbed to tenth with 24 points.
Goiás secure narrow 1-0 win over Fortaleza
In a very tight match during the 18th round of the Brazilian Championship, Goiás won 1-0 against Fortaleza at the Serrinha Stadium. The game was marked by tense moments, with both teams fighting for a much-needed win. The first half remained even, with both teams creating chances but failing to find the back of the net. In the 23rd minute, Yago Pikachu tested the reaction of the Goiás goalkeeper, but Tadeu was ready.
In the second half, three goals came through Fortaleza’s gates, but only the first one counted. In the 53rd minute, Tobias Figueiredo sent the ball into his own net. The goals from Alano in the 68th minute and João Magno in the 87th minute were disallowed for offside and a foul respectively. In the 98th minute, Alano was unlucky again – a shot hit the post.
In the end, Goiás managed to hold on to their slender lead and secure three crucial points, putting them in 15th place in the standings, while Fortaleza are in 11th.
Fluminense beat Palmeiras 2-1
In the central match of the tour, Fluminense emerged triumphant with a thrilling 2-1 win against Palmeiras at the Maracanã during the 18th round of the Brazilian Championship. The match was a tale of two halves, as Palmeiras dominated the first half, pressuring Flu in their own half. Despite Alviverde’s superiority, it was Fluminense who opened the scoring with João Arias converting a penalty.
In the second half, the situation changed, with Fluminense adopting a more rational approach, securing possession and pressuring Palmeiras. John Kennedy extended the Tricolor’s lead with a well-worked goal. In injury time, Gustavo Gómez pulled one back for Palmeiras, but it wasn’t enough to change the result. The win took Fluminense back to G4, while Palmeiras dropped to third, in a thrilling game that captivated the fans at the Maracanã.