Spinelli brace gives Vasco edge over Paysandu in Copa do Brasil | OneFootball

Vasco secured an important 2-0 victory over Paysandu on Tuesday night. The first leg of the fifth round of the Copa do Brasil was played at Mangueirão stadium in the city of Belém. The standout performer of the match was Argentine striker Claudio Spinelli, who ended an uncomfortable five-game scoring drought and found the net twice to give the visitors the advantage.

The home side performed better during the first half and troubled the opposing defense. Forward Ítalo smashed a powerful shot off the crossbar and constantly threatened with quick runs behind full-back Puma Rodríguez. Midfielder Marcinho also dictated the tempo, and the team from Pará could have gone into the locker room with the lead. Coach Renato Gaúcho showed plenty of frustration with the attacking system’s difficulty in breaking through, while goalkeeper Léo Jardim made brilliant saves to keep the score level.

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Spinelli shines in the second half and seals it for Vasco

After the break, Vasco came out with a much more aggressive tactical approach and completely dominated the action on the pitch. In the 11th minute, midfielder Rojas took a quick throw-in to winger Andrés Gómez, who delivered a perfect cross for Spinelli to blast home and open the scoring. Just five minutes later, the same Paraguayan playmaker took advantage of a beautiful ball into the box, and the center-forward powered a header into the corner to double the lead.

With control of the game, the Rio side simply managed the positive result by moving the ball intelligently. The coach made tactical changes by bringing on Matheus França, Adson and Hugo Moura to refresh the midfield marking. The team even had a third goal scored by Nuno Moreira in stoppage time, but the refereeing crew disallowed the play after a careful VAR review for a foul by striker Brenner on center-back Bruno Bispo. On the other side, midfielder Caio Mello tried to pull one back with a long-range shot, without success.

Spinelli celebrates his decisive goals – Photo: Matheus Lima/Vasco

Comfortable advantage for the return leg in Rio de Janeiro

The excellent away result leaves Vasco in a very favorable position for the second meeting. The club can even lose by one goal and still mathematically secure progression to the next round of the lucrative national knockout tournament. A defeat by exactly two goals would send the battle for the coveted spot directly to a dramatic penalty shootout.

The return leg between the two clubs is officially scheduled for May 13, a Wednesday, at 7 p.m. The decisive match will take place at the traditional São Januário stadium, with a massive presence from the home supporters. Before that knockout clash, Vasco will turn its tactical focus back to the very tough fixtures in the Brazilian Championship standings next weekend.

PAYSANDU 0x2 VASCO

Copa do Brasil – First leg of the 5th roundDate: 04/21/2026, at 9:30 p.m.Venue: Mangueirão Stadium, Belém, ParáGoals: Spinelli, 11’/2nd half (0-1) and Spinelli, 16’/2nd half (0-2);

PAYSANDU: Gabriel Mesquita; Edílson, Castro, Bruno Bispo and Facundo Bonifazi; Pedro Henrique (Brian Macapá, 18’/2nd half; Henrique, 24’/2nd half), Caio Mello and Marcinho; Hinkel (Lucas Cardoso, 14’/2nd half), Keliton Pego (Thalyson, 18’/2nd half), Ítalo (Juninho, 14’/2nd half). Coach: Júnior Rocha.VASCO: Léo Jardim; Puma Rodríguez, Saldivia, Robert Renan and Cuiabano; Barros, Thiago Mendes (Matheus França, 33’/2nd half), Tchê Tchê (Nuno Moreira, 24’/2nd half) and Rojas (Adson, 24’/2nd half); Andrés Gómez (Hugo Moura, 32’/2nd half) and Spinelli (Brenner, 23’/2nd half). Coach: Renato Gaúcho.

Referee: Ramon Abatti Abel (SC)Assistant referees: Alex dos Santos (SC) and Henrique Neu Ribeiro (SC)VAR: Daiane Muniz (SP)Yellow cards: Pedro Henrique, Henrico (PAY), Thiago Mendes (VAS)

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