Novorizontino and São Bernardo played out a scoreless draw in the Série B at the Estádio Dr. Jorge Ismael de Biasi on Friday evening. The result keeps the hosts second in the table with 51 points from 30 games, while São Bernardo remain 12th on 42 points.
Minute 38 saw the first booking of the match when Helder Maciel picked up a yellow card for Novorizontino. The game settled into a measured rhythm after that, with neither side able to break the deadlock.
Then came the moment that might have changed everything. Minute 52: a penalty was awarded to São Bernardo and Robson stepped up to take it, but the VAR intervention cancelled the spot-kick. By then the tension had built enough to change the tempo, but the visitors couldn't convert any of their limited opportunities.
Substitutions arrived in waves from the 60th minute. Felipe Garcia, Francisco Reidiney Duarte Gomes and Nicolas Morês da Cruz came on for Novorizontino, while Leonardo Naldi de Matos and Pedro Gabriel Pereira Lopes followed shortly after. Foguinho, Mário Sérgio Valerio, Pedro Vitor Ferreira da Silva and Romulo Azevedo Simão completed the replacements, with Robson also brought off after his penalty miss.
The statistics tell a story of possession without penetration. Novorizontino held 53 per cent of the ball and registered 76 attacks compared to São Bernardo's 36, yet their expected goals total of 0.62 yielded nothing. São Bernardo managed just one shot on target from 14 attempts across the match.
Both sides had their defensive concerns. São Bernardo made 31 clearances and completed 14 tackles, while Novorizontino recorded 13 clearances and 15 interceptions. The hosts created one big chance but failed to capitalise, and São Bernardo produced none at all.
The draw extends Novorizontino's recent run of mixed results following a 1-2 defeat to Ceará. São Bernardo's two consecutive wins against Atlético Goianiense and América Mineiro came to an end, leaving them nine points behind the leaders with a game to play.
