Léo Jardim stars: Vasco beat Fluminense on pens, face Corinthians | OneFootball

On a breathtaking Sunday night at Maracanã, Vasco has qualified for the grand final of the Copa do Brasil. Fluminense did their part in regular time and won the classic 1-0, with an own goal by full-back Paulo Henrique, leveling the aggregate score of the semifinal at 2-2. However, in the penalty shootout, the Cruzmaltino was more efficient, winning 4-3 and stamping their ticket to the final, where they will face Corinthians.

Match Situation

The first leg will already be this Wednesday, at Neo Química Arena, at 9:30 p.m. (Brasília time). The decisive return match will take place on Sunday, in Rio de Janeiro, starting at 6:30 p.m., with Cruzmaltino seeking a second championship that could crown a season of overcoming adversity.

📋 Match Summary

🔴🟢 FLUMINENSE 1 (3) X 0 (4) VASCO ⚫⚪

🏆 Competition: Copa do Brasil (semifinal second leg) 🏟️ Venue: Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro (RJ) 📅 Date: December 14, 2025 (Sunday) ⏰ Time: 8:30 p.m. (Brasília time) 👥 Attendance: 67,560 fans 🟨 Yellow Cards: Samuel Xavier, Nonato, Lucho Acosta, Serna, Bernal and Canobbio (Fluminense); Andrés Gómez, Carlos Cuesta and Paulo Henrique (Vasco)

Refereeing

Referee: Wilton Pereira Sampaio (GO) Assistants: Rodrigo Figueiredo Henrique Correa (RJ) and Bruno Raphael Pires (GO) VAR: Wagner Reway (SC)

Goal

⚽ Paulo Henrique, at 35′ of the 1st half (own goal for Fluminense)

🔴🟢 FLUMINENSE

Fábio; Samuel Xavier (Guga), Thiago Silva, Freytes and Renê; Martinelli (Otávio), Nonato (Bernal), Lucho Acosta (Ganso); Canobbio, Everaldo (John Kennedy) and Serna. Coach: Luis Zubeldía.

⚫⚪VASCO

Léo Jardim; Paulo Henrique (Victor Luis), Carlos Cuesta, Robert Renan and Puma Rodríguez; Barros, Thiago Mendes (Hugo Moura), Philippe Coutinho and Andrés Gómez (Matheus França); Rayan and Nuno Moreira (Vegetti). Coach: Fernando Diniz.

How was the match?

First Half

Needing to overturn the deficit, Fluminense took the initiative in the match. The first half was tense, balanced, and marked by intense midfield battles. While Vasco relied on long-range shots, stopped twice by great saves from goalkeeper Fábio, the Tricolor found their way down the right side.

The partnership between Samuel Xavier and Uruguayan Canobbio tormented Vasco’s defense and was rewarded. After a cross from Canobbio and a deflection from Everaldo onto the post, full-back Paulo Henrique, trying to clear, ended up scoring an own goal and set Maracanã alight.

Second Half

In the second half, the script intensified. The game turned into a thrilling end-to-end battle. Fluminense pressed in search of the second goal that would give them direct qualification, but failed in their finishing, wasting clear chances. On the other side, Vasco, on the counterattacks, found a giant named Fábio. The Tricolor goalkeeper performed true miracles on shots from Rayan, keeping the slim lead and his team’s hopes alive.

Penalty Shootout

With the 1-0 score holding, the spot was decided from the penalty mark. At crunch time, goalkeeper Léo Jardim’s star shone, and the Vasco penalty takers showed their composure. The 4-3 win on penalties rewarded Fernando Diniz’s team’s resilience and poured cold water on the Tricolor’s celebrations.

Fluminense

Vasco

Vasco’s Next Match

Corinthians vs Vasco  Competition: Copa do Brasil Final (first leg) Date and time: 12/17 (Wednesday), at 9:30 p.m. Venue: Neo Química Arena, São Paulo (SP)

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