Match Summary · Football · Brazil · Brasileiro Serie B · Fortaleza EC CE · Gremio Novorizontino SP · Vitinho
| Metric | Fortaleza EC CE | Gremio Novorizontino SP |
|---|---|---|
| Possession | 38% | 62% |
| Shots | 15 | 18 |
| Shots on target | 4 | 3 |
| Shots off target | 5 | 9 |
| Corners | 10 | 6 |
| Fouls | 17 | 6 |
| Yellow cards | 4 | 1 |
| Red cards | 0 | 0 |
| Offsides | 2 | 0 |
| Goalkeeper saves | 3 | 2 |
Vitinho's early finish gave Fortaleza the perfect start, and that breakthrough proved enough to decide the match. After the fast opening score, the first half settled into a more physical contest. Joao Ricardo entered the book in the 39th minute, then both Robson and Neris were shown yellow cards at 45'00'' as the game edged toward the interval with the hosts still in front.
The second half brought changes from both benches. Fortaleza introduced Welliton for Luiz Fernando at the break, while Gremio Novorizontino sent on Juninho for Helio. Rodriguinho was booked in the 55th minute before the visitors made a double switch through Luiz Otavio Maria and Vinicius Paiva just past the hour. Lucas Gazal also saw yellow at 63'38'', and Fortaleza responded with changes of their own as Mailton and Pierre arrived.
Gremio Novorizontino continued to shuffle the pack, with Christian Jonatan Ortiz and Carlos Henrique De Moura Brito sent on in the 67th minute, but they could not force an equaliser. Luan Freitas and Paulo Baya were later introduced as Fortaleza saw out the 1-0 score. The result leaves Fortaleza third on 35 points, while Gremio Novorizontino sit seventh on 33.
Our pre-match analysis called this one correctly. These picks were backed before kick-off and landed after the final result.
1X2: Home @2.10
Pre-match pick: Fortaleza at home is the main pick in a close game.