In the 14th round of the Brasileirao, Grêmio emerged victorious against Fortaleza with a score of 2-1, thanks to a brace from Martin Braithwaite. The initial stalemate was broken in the 11th minute of the first half when Braithwaite converted a penalty for his first goal of the match. Just five minutes later, he extended the lead by scoring another penalty at the 16-minute mark. Although Deyverson pulled one back for Fortaleza with a goal from open play in the 23rd minute, it was not enough to change the outcome.
Fortaleza’s José María Herrera posed a threat just moments after Deyverson’s goal, but his shot hit the post, leaving the visitors unable to find an equalizer.
Martin Braithwaite was undoubtedly the star of the match, showcasing his talent with two goals and four shots on target. Grêmio’s goalkeeper, Tiago Volpi, also made notable contributions by saving three attempts from the opposing team during the contest.
Head coach Luiz Venker Menezes opted for a 4-3-3 formation for Grêmio, with Tiago Volpi in goal; Gustavo Martins, Walter Kannemann, Wagner Leonardo, and Marlon forming the defense; Dodi, Mathías Villasanti, and Riquelme Freitas in midfield; and Alysson Edward, Martin Braithwaite, and Cristian Olivera leading the attack.
On the other hand, Fortaleza’s manager Renato Paiva deployed a 4-2-4 setup, featuring Magrão as the goalkeeper; Eros Mancuso, Benjamín Kuscevic, Gastón Ávila, and Bruno Pacheco in defense; with Lucas Sasha and Lucca Prior in midfield; and Matheus Pereira, Breno Lopes, José María Herrera, and Deyverson in the attacking line.
Looking ahead, Grêmio will travel to face Fluminense in their next match, while Fortaleza will visit Corinthians. With this result, Grêmio climbs to 20 points, placing them in 14th position, whereas Fortaleza remains at 14 points in 18th place in the standings.
Substitutions for Grêmio
52’ 2T – Gustavo Martins out for Camilo Reijers
65’ 2T – Riquelme Freitas out for Cristian Pavón
83’ 2T – Alysson Edward out for Edenílson
Yellow Cards for Grêmio:
50’ 1T Alysson Edward (Unsportsmanlike conduct), 41’ 2T Cristian Olivera (Unsportsmanlike conduct), and 42’ 2T Marlon (Unsportsmanlike conduct)
Substitutions for Fortaleza
63’ 2T – Bruno Pacheco out for Diogo Barbosa and José María Herrera out for Juan Martín Lucero
76’ 2T – Lucca Prior out for Yago Pikachu
84’ 2T – Deyverson out for Emmanuel Martínez and Eros Mancuso out for Adam Bareiro
Yellow Cards for Fortaleza:
9’ 1T Magrão (Unsportsmanlike conduct), 17’ 1T Bruno Pacheco (Unsportsmanlike conduct), 48’ 1T Breno Lopes (Insulting or disapproving the referee), 9’ 2T Deyverson (Unsportsmanlike conduct), 21’ 2T Lucca Prior (Unsportsmanlike conduct), and 28’ 2T Marinho (Insulting or disapproving the referee)