The shocking duel in Castellan was marked by a goal from Carlos Vinicius, who took the ball from Brennno, and was reminiscent of Ronaldo Fenomeno’s feat in 1993.
November 9th
2025
– 10:58 p.m.
(Updated at 11:01 p.m.)
This Sunday (11/9), Fortaleza and Gremio faced off in an electric clash in Castellan. Despite taking the lead within the first few minutes, Leanne de Picci forced a draw and Carlos Vinicius put the Gauchos ahead with a great goal. The result of this battle was valid until round 33 of the Brazilian Championship, leaving Gremio in 14th place with 40 points. Fortaleza, on the other hand, are struggling to stay out of the relegation zone and are in 19th place with 30 points.
Gremio partially won the first half.
The first half at Arena Castellan was exciting and full of alternatives. Fortaleza made a strong start and took the lead in just seven minutes. Barreiro took advantage of a mistake by Gremio, received the ball from Pochettino and fired a powerful shot from the edge of the area to make it 1-0. The home side continued to press and almost extended the lead by bringing on Breno López, but goalkeeper Tiago Volpi made a save. The pace was fast, there was a lot of competition in the midfield and there was heavy pressing on both sides.
Gremio’s response was stylish. Fifteen-year-old Carlos Vinicius took advantage of a strange mistake by Breno, stole the ball from the goalkeeper and equalized with a wonderful goal reminiscent of Ronaldo Fenomeno’s goal in 1993 (Cruzeiro 6×0 Bahia). This goal gave morale to the Tricolor Gauchos, who began to control the game and created chances with Alisson and Edenilsson. The turning point came in the 31st minute. Marlon received the ball in the area, dribbled in a way that surprised the Brites, and fired a shot across the ball to turn the score around. After a tense period marked by defensive mistakes and good saves from Volpi, Gremio ended the first half in good fashion and went into half-time with a 2-1 lead.
Tricolor becomes more aggressive towards the final stage
The second half was a tense affair at Arena Castellan. Despite the odds being against them, Fortaleza tried to apply pressure from the start, with Thiago Volpi making a good save from Matheus Pereira’s free kick. Gremio’s goalkeeper also saved Breno López’s shot to maintain their advantage. When the match was caught, the referee dealt cards to Cuellar, Kannemann and Edenilson from the Gaucho side, and to Bruno Pacheco from the home team.
The game got even busier. In the 18th minute, Matheus Pereira took a beautiful free kick that covered Volpi and leveled the score at 2-2, leaving the León fans on their feet. Despite the draw, Grêmio improved under the leadership of Mano Menezes, pushing their lines forward and creating chances for Amuz and Cristaldo as they looked to score the third goal. The final minutes were intense, with Fortaleza betting on aerial balls and the Tricolors responding with counter-attacks.
Eventually it struck a balance. In this way, Gremio reached 40 points and remained in the middle of the Brasileiran standings, while Fortaleza reached 30 points and remained in the relegation zone. Overall the second half was busier with a good performance from the goalkeepers and dedication from both teams. In the end, Matheus Pereira received a red card for a foul on Cristaldo after a VAR review.
Fortaleza 2 x 2 Gremio
Brazil Championship Series A – Round 33
date: September 11, 2025
position: Castellan, Fortaleza (CE)
Strength: Brenno. Mancuso, Brites, Gaston Avila, Bruno Pacheco. Pierre, Lucas Sasha (Mateus Pereira, 2nd Q), Pochettino (Herrera, 2nd Q), Lucas Crispim (Moises, 2nd Q). Breno López, Barreiro. Director: Martin Palermo.
Gremio: Tiago Volpi; Joan Lucas, Noriega, Kannemann, Marlon. Cuellar, Arthur Melo, Edenilsson. Alisson (Crystaldo, 15 minutes in the 2nd quarter), Carlos Vinicius (Andre Enrique, 15 minutes in the 2nd quarter), Ams. Coach: Mano Menezes.
the goal: Barreiro (4 minutes, 1st quarter), Matheus Pereira (19 minutes, 2nd quarter) (Fortaleza). Carlos Vinicius (15, 1st Q), Marlon (31, 1st Q) (Gremio)
Arbitrator: Jefferson Ferreira de Moraes (GO)
assistant: Bruno Rafael Pires (GO) and Leone Carvalho Rocha (GO)
VAR: Rodrigo Nunez de Sa (RJ)
Yellow card: Brites, Bruno Pacheco, Matheus Rossetto, Barreiro (FOR). Noriega, Cuellar, Kanneman, Edenilson (GRE).
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