There was no way for the Ceará teams. After many twists and turns, Sport and Juventude, relegated with rounds in advance, met the teams that complete the Z-4 at the end of the 38 rounds of the Brasileirão. With the 3-1 defeat against Palmeiras, Ceará moves from 15th to 18th place and returns to Serie B after a rapid passage to the first division. And the last team relegated was precisely its biggest rival, Fortaleza, beaten by Botafogo 3-2 and interrupting its seven-year journey in the national elite.
The fight for permanence was marked by an avalanche of goals: 17 goals were scored in the duels of the five defeated teams. Ceará fans were excited by Pedro Raul’s 12th-minute goal, but Facundo Torres left Palmeiras on equal footing five minutes later. In the second stage, the Alviverde turned around with goals from Sosa and Flaco López and sealed the fate of Vozão.
Those who visited Nilton Santos on a sunny Sunday afternoon witnessed an electrifying match. the scenario started in the same way as the rivals’ duel: the one who opened the score was Breno Lopes for Fortaleza, but Montoro equalized the score in stoppage time of the second half. Encouraged, Botafogo took the advantage at the start of the second half, and scored for the third time, but an unusual sequence changed the course of the match.
The referee reviewed the move, disallowed the goal of the black and white team and also awarded a penalty to Leão do Pici at the start of the game, when Marçal touched the ball with his hand during a corner. Barreiro converted and leveled the match again, leaving Fortaleza momentarily out of the relegation zone, but the relief did not last long. Marçal redeemed himself, scored the third and Mateo Ponte finished the Brasileirão with a 4-2 victory.
In Beira-Rio and Barradão, expectations were high for Internacional and Vitoria. The teams started the round inside Z-4 and had to not only win their matches, but also rely on stumbles from their rivals. And they did their homework: Colorado was slow to get going, but beat Bragantino 3-0, with a strong performance in the second leg; and the Bahian team beat São Paulo 1-0, and Gabriel Baralhas’ goal was enough to catapult the team to 15th place.
Santos, who only needed a draw to stay in the first division, quickly resolved the match. Thaciano scored twice in a row, with a header in the 26th minute and a well-aimed shot in the 28th minute of the first half. After the break, João Schmidt increased the advantage and the Vojvoda-led team remained calm in the final minutes, securing 12th place and a place in the South American Championship.
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