Galo struggle for ideas, Fortaleza come out on top at Castelão | OneFootball

Fortaleza made home advantage count and defeated Atlético 1-0 on Sunday night (30th) at Arena Castelão, in a match valid for the 35th round of the Brazilian Championship. In a game with few opportunities, the decisive goal was scored by Pochettino in the 40th minute of the first half, after a well-worked play down the left side.

With this result, Leão do Pici reached 40 points and is now just one point away from escaping the relegation zone — Santos, the first team outside the Z-4, has 41. Galo, on the other hand, remained at 45 points and finished the round in 13th place, far from the fight for a Copa Libertadores spot and needing to be careful not to get into trouble in the final rounds.

Few chances and tricolor efficiency

The match was tight from the start, with both teams struggling to create. According to Sofascore data, each team had only one clear chance throughout the game — and Fortaleza made theirs count. In the 40th minute, Bareiro received the ball in the box and found Pochettino unmarked, right in front of goal. The midfielder controlled it and finished with a shot to Everson’s far post, leaving the goalkeeper with no chance.

Atlético almost responded immediately. In the 43rd minute, Hulk received the ball in the box and set up Tressoldi. The defender dribbled past his marker and shot powerfully, but Brenno made a great save, preventing the equalizer for the visitors.

Galo’s unproductive dominance in the second half

In the second half, Fortaleza adopted a clear strategy: they conceded possession to Atlético and bet on counterattacks. Galo, who finished with over 70% possession, struggled to turn territorial dominance into real chances. The Minas Gerais team circulated the ball, occupied the attacking third, but failed to create any clear opportunities.

On the other side, Leão still had good counterattacks, taking advantage of the spaces left by their opponents, but failed with the final pass and did not extend the lead.

Upcoming fixtures

Atlético returns to the field on Wednesday (3rd), when they host Palmeiras at 9:30 p.m. at Arena MRV. On the same day, at 7:00 p.m., Fortaleza faces Corinthians, again at Castelão, in a decisive match in the fight against relegation.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.