Botafogo played Cricúma at the Estádio Santa-Cruz on Wednesday, 20 August 2026, in a Serie B regular season fixture. The match ended 1-1 after what was a measured contest with neither side able to break the deadlock early on. by then the first half had settled into a pattern of cautious possession, and neither manager looked inclined to take unnecessary risks.
Waguininho gave Botafogo the lead in the 70th minute, a moment that shifted the balance of the game. Cricúma responded with three substitutions at the hour mark, bringing on Nicolas and Jhonata Robert alongside another fresh body. The visitors pushed for an equaliser and eventually found one through Vilar in the 90th minute plus six seconds — and here's the thing about late goals, they tend to rewrite the narrative of an entire ninety minutes.
Botafogo made more aggressive changes in the final stages, bringing on Eduardo and Waguininho himself in the 91st minute, which suggested they had already accepted the draw. Cricúma's three substitutions at 75 minutes — Hygor, Matheus Sales and Wesley Santos — indicated a different approach, one focused on maintaining structure rather than chasing the game.
The statistics told a story of Botafogo's dominance in possession without translating into clear-cut opportunities. They held 57 per cent of the ball, registered 132 attacks and won 11 corners, yet managed just three shots on target from twelve attempts. Their expected goals figure of 1.13 reflected this — chances created but not fully capitalised upon. Cricúma, with less possession and fewer attacks, were more efficient, registering five shots on target from eight attempts and an expected goals figure of 0.3.
Botafogo sit 15th in the table with 26 points from 26 games, while Cricúma remain top with 47 points. The draw at least preserved Cricúma's lead at the summit, though they had already demonstrated their ability to grind out results in recent weeks. Botafogo's recent form — wins against São Bernardo and América Mineiro — suggested they were capable of more, but on this occasion the points were shared.