Brasileirão Week 24: Awesome Almirante, Fogão Falter Again and Eight-Goal Chaos at Corinthians

The fixture scheduling may be getting confusing, but the drama of the Brasileirão remains in full flow with no shortage of action in the most competitive top-flight in the world. The weekend’s main story in Brazil has been São Paulo, who secured a first Copa do Brasil in their history with a 2-1 aggregate win over Flamengo, sealed on a magical Monday night at Morumbi - but for the rest of the nation’s premier clubs, the focus was on league form as the business end of the season edged ever closer. 

In a fixture rescheduled from round 15, Corinthians hosted Grêmio last midweek with the hosts having just ended an eight-match unbeaten league run by losing to Fortaleza. Former Chelsea winger Nathan gave Tricolor the lead with his first goal of the season, and his side were in dreamland five minutes later when star man Franco Cristaldo headed home a quick fire second - but as the game approached half time, but a Fábio Santos penalty halved the deficit. Incredibly, Lucas Veríssimo headed in an equaliser four minutes later, before an utterly extraordinary end to the half for Timão was completed by Yuri Alberto in sixth minute of first half stoppage time which completed an unbelievably quick turnaround to stun the visitors and leave them 3-2 down. 

Both managers would have had words to say to their defences at the break, but there was nothing that Vanderlei Luxembourgo’s back-line could do to stop a stunning equaliser from half-time substitute Everton Galdino, scored just five minutes after the break. Corinthians then found themselves behind AGAIN just seven minutes later, as yet another quick-fire goal-rush saw Luis Suárez fittingly get in on the act to put his side 4-3 in front with an unstoppable finish - and this utterly mad game of football was not done there as Renato Gaúcho’s men threw their lead away again on 67 minutes, when Giuliano slid home the eighth goal of the match.

The pulsating encounter had more chances to come, with both sides chasing a 5-4 win in the later stages, but the game of the season would finish with the unforgettable scoreline of Corinthians 4-4 Grêmio. Futebol!