Even with the support of the 50 thousand tricolors present at the Arena, the Grêmio failed to achieve the sixth consecutive victory in the Brazilian Championshipbeing surped by Corinthianswith a score of 1 to 0. With the setback, the Gauchos lost the opportunity to equal the leader’s score and ended the 34th round in third place, with 59 points, three less than Palmeiras.
In a hot start, the game took on a different look after 10 minutes, when Bruno Mendez exaggerated his strength when he hit Besozzi with a carton the wing, and received a straight red, after consulting the referee in the VAR.
With the visitors closed off due to one less player, the Gauchos pressed the entire time. In the 23rd minute, Suárez was released from behind the defense and crossed for Galdino to complete. The goal, however, was disallowed because the Uruguayan was offside.
Even at the top, the home team were inattentive in the Corinthians’ first arrival, at 31. Bruno Alves cut the corner poorly, and Lucas Veríssimo headed back into the penalty area, where he was. Romerofree of marking, to hit the first and open the scoring for São Paulo.
At 45, Villasanti made a foul in the middle and was warned with a yellow card. It was the third for the Paraguayan, who is suspended, and will not face Atlético-MG in the next round. In stoppage time, Galdino had the home team’s best chance in the first half, when he came face to face with Cássio on the counterattack, and finished weakly, towards the black and white goalkeeper.
Around the break, Suárez almost tied the match in the 3rd minute. From a free kick, the number 9 looked for the angle, but stopped at Cássio, who flew in to make a great save. Then, at 17, André received a precise cross from Reinaldo, and rose free to head it close to the post, out wide.
Above, Renato Portaluppi’s men found it difficult to break through the opposing defense, and saw their lives getting worse when Bruno Alves missed the ball and hit Fagner with a cart, and received the second straight red card of the match.
With ten against ten, the spaces appeared more, and Romero almost expanded at 42, upon receiving a beautiful p on the left of the area, and hitting a cross, stopping at Grando, who was well positioned, slotting in the shot. Soon after, Suárez found Gustavo Martins in a cross from the right, but the young man didn’t head as he wanted, sending the shot wide.
After ten minutes of extra time, the referee ended the duel in the 55th minute. Now, the Grêmio focus is on the break for FIFA Dataand in the confrontation with Galo, away from home, on the 26th of this month, after the return from the international break.
Grêmio (0) Gabriel Grando; João Pedro (Fábio) (Gustavo Martins), Bruno Alves, Kannemann (André Henrique) and Reinaldo; Villasanti, Carballo and Cristaldo; Everton Galdino (João Pedro Galvão), Suárez and Besozzi (Ferreira). Technician: Renato Portaluppi.
Corinthians (1) Cio (Carlos Miguel); Bruno Mendez, Lucas Veríssimo and Caetano; Fagner, Maycon, Renato Augusto (Gabriel Moscardo), Giuliano (Matheus Araújo) and Matheus Bidu; Ángel Romero (Ruan) and Wesley (Gustavo Mosquito). Technician: Bro Menezes.
Referee: Rodrigo José Pereira de Lima.