Atlético Mineiro and Athletico Paranaense will define the title of the Copa do Brasil, which grants Brazilians the first pass to the Copa Libertadores, after eliminating Fortaleza and Flamengo, respectively, in the semifinals of the tournament.
Mineiro, current leader of the Brazilian Championship, advanced to the final of the Copa do Brasil by winning this Wednesday 1-2 on their visit to Fortaleza, in the second leg, with goals from the Spanish-Brazilian Diego Costa and the Hulk, the latter from a penalty.
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Despite several failed attempts during the match, the Ceará club only managed to score at the end of the match, with a shot from Romarinho.
The triumph of ‘Galo’ was almost sung, after beating Fortaleza 4-0 last week in Belo Horizonte, during the first leg.
Paranaense, which is also a finalist in the South American Cup, qualified for the final on Wednesday after beating Flamengo 3-0 at the Maracaná stadium in Rio Janeiro and after having drawn 2-2 in the first leg last week in Curitiba.
The big surprise in the semifinals was the elimination of Flamengo, who was the great favorite for the title and is a finalist for the Libertadores. The most popular club in Brazil was surprised by Paranaense in the middle of Maracana with two goals from Nikao, the first from a penalty and the second from a sudden counterattack.
The elimination of the Rio de Janeiro club left Renato Gaucho, their coach, on the tightrope, who had been questioned by the disappointing results in the league and whose dismissal was demanded by the fans.
The Copa do Brasil, which faces regional champions and runners-up from the country’s 27 states, as well as the highest-ranked clubs, is the South American giant’s second most important tournament, after the Brazilian Championship, and its winner is automatically awarded a quota for the Libertadores.
