Palmeiras’ lead cut to one point in the Brasileiro
October 25, 2009 at 19:51 2 comments
Rogério Ceni scores then gets sent off against Santos
Three losses in a row has suddenly left Palmeiras’ championship chances in grave doubt. The latest defeat came away at strugglers Santo André on Wednesday. The result provided another opportunity for Palmeiras’ rivals to make ground on the leaders. After failing to take advantage of the Green’s failings on three different occasions, this time the chasing pack closed in.
On Saturday, 58,000 turned out at the estádio Mineirão to see Atlético Mineiro scrap a 1-0 win over a plucky Vitória. Diego Tardelli scored his 16th of the season – though he also missed a second-half penalty. Atlético are now just a point behind Palmeiras – the two meet in the penultimate round in the Palestra Itália. See the goal
In a tedious game in the Beira-Rio, Internacional came out on top against archenemies Grêmio. D’Alessandro got the game’s only goal but Grêmio keeper, Victor, was largely to blame. See the goal
The match of the round came at the Vila Belmiro were São Paulo came away with a 4-3 win over Santos. Hernanes seems back to his best after scoring a cracker. But it was keeper Rogério Ceni got the winner with his first goal of the season before he was sent off. See the highlights here
Flamengo are also in contention after moving to within three points of the top. Adriano grabbed the only goal versus neighbours Botafogo in the Engenhão to bring his tally to 16 alongside Diego Tardelli.
At the bottom Náutico, Botafogo, Sport and Fluminense are the teams in trouble.
To see the rest of the Campeonato Brasileiro round 31 results and the table, click here
Entry filed under: Campeonato Brasileiro 2009. Tags: Adriano, Brazilian football, Campeonato Brasileiro round 31 2009, Flamengo, Grêmio, Internacional, Santos, São Paulo.
1. Martin | November 5, 2009 at 17:55
This is a look I did on another forum of the remaining schedule for the top 6 clubs in the league.
Here is the schedule for the last 5 rounds of the Brasileirao for each of the title and Libertadores contending teams, I have included last night’s Gremio v Sao Paulo match which was moved up from this weekend:
[b]Round 34[/b]
Gremio v Sao Paulo (1-1)
Barueri v Internacional
Atletico MG v Flamengo
Fluminense v Palmeiras
Sport v Cruzeiro
[b]Round 35[/b]
Palmeiras v Sport
Sao Paulo v Vitoria
Cruzeiro v Gremio
Nautico v Flamengo
Internacional v Santos
Coritiba v Atletico MG
[b]Round 36[/b]
Atletico MG v Internacional
Flamengo v Goias
Gremio v Palmeiras
Atletico PR v Cruzeiro
Botafogo v Sao Paulo
[b]Round 37[/b]
Corinthians v Flamengo
Cruzeiro v Coritiba
Goias v Sao Paulo
Palmeiras v Atletico MG
Sport v Internacional
[b]Round 38[/b]
Sao Paulo v Sport
Atletico MG v Corinthians
Flamengo v Gremio
Internacional v Santo Andre
Santos v Cruzeiro
Botafogo v Palmeiras
Here is the current table, which includes last night’s 1-1 draw between Gremio and Sao Paulo:
Sao Paulo 59
Palmeiras 58
Atletico MG 56
Flamengo 54
Internacional 52
Cruzeiro 51
Gremio is 7th with 48 points and curiously on each of the last 5 weeks they play one of the top 6 each week except week 37. So they will have a major impact in how all of this plays out and if they themselves get hot they may even be able to sneak into the top four themselves, although that won’t be easy.
I think Sao Paulo, after last night’s draw away to Gremio, have a favorable schedule, they do not play any of the other contenders, the next best placed team they’ll face is slumping 8th placed Goias away but they do have to play Botafogo and Sport, a pair of clubs trying to avoid relegation and those may become trickier games than they appear.
Palmeiras play 3 teams fighting relegation, plus Gremio and on the penultimate week, a potential title decider when they host Atletico MG. This to me looks like a difficult schedule for the Verdao.
Atletico MG, in addition to that week 37 showdown at Palmeiras also must play Flamengo, Internacional and Corinthians! But they’ll play each of those three at home. If they get through that difficult path nobody could deny that they would have earned their place!
Flamengo play away to Atletico MG this weekend, away to relegation fighting Nautico, home to slumping Goias, away to Corinthians in an always emotional game then close at home with Gremio. Not an easy schedule but also not as difficult as Atletico Mineiro’s.
Inter play relegation threatened Sport and Santo Andre plus contending Atletico MG, the rest of their opponents are midtable clubs probably content to close out the season. A pretty favorable schedule to me.
Cruzeiro are home to Gremio and also play Sport but the rest of their opponents also are midtable clubs, a favorable schedule for them as well.
The more I think about it, I think Sao Paulo rescuing a tie away to Gremio and playing the last 1/4 hour with 9 and the final few minutes with 8 may have passed the test of their most difficult game remaining. The rest of their schedule is favorable enough where I now think they are favorites to win the title. It is Atletico MG and Flamengo who have the toughest road to go and they’ll need to be careful that Internacional or Cruzeiro don’t catch them and knock them out of the top 4 and that automatic Copa Libertadores place.
http://z8.invisionfree.com/Soccer_Futbol_Forum/index.php?
2. pitacodogringo | November 5, 2009 at 19:16
thanks for that Martin!
i watched the Grêmio x São Paulo game – only 14,000 turned up – Grêmio weren’t that interested in the match and if São Paulo hadn’t had three men sent off i think they might have won –
Grêmio have won just once away all year and i think that now they’re out of the hunt for the Libertadores places, they’ll lose the rest of their away games.
i have a feeling that Palmeiras will not beat Fluminense on Sunday in the Maracanã (our game by the way) – Flu haven’t lost in six and have suddenly started winning-
i think Inter, Flamengo and Cruzeiro are too far behind to win the league.
Atlético Mineiro could go top this weekend – i can also see them beating Inter and Corinthians in Belo Horizonte and as Martin said, the title decider may come in the Palestra Itália
our saturday match is Sport x Cruzeiro