Paduano secured a comfortable three-nil victory over Parati in the fifth round of the Carioca B2 Group Stage on Saturday evening. The visitors took control before the break and were never troubled after the interval. By then the result was already decided, but the manner of it left little doubt about the quality gap between the sides.
Two goals arrived in the closing moments of the first half, the first at forty-five plus three and the second a minute later. Parati had not registered a single shot on target before that, and the visitors found a way through a disorganised defence. To be fair, the home side had been under pressure for the better part of the half.
We had backed the away win with moderate confidence, and the prediction held its own. The visitors were not flashy, but they were efficient, and the double strike just before the break shifted the momentum entirely.
The third goal came at sixty-two minutes, a routine finish that extended the lead without drama. Parati were reduced to defending deep, and every attack from the hosts fizzled out against a compact back line. The academy graduate who scored the opener marked his first start with a goal.
In the standings, Paduano sit fourth with ten points from five games — three wins, one draw, one defeat. Parati remain twelfth, winless after five matches, their goal difference reflecting the pattern of their campaign so far.
The visitors have won three of their last five, including a draw against Barra Mansa and a narrow victory over Serra Macaense. Their away form has been steady, and this result keeps them within striking distance of the top positions.
Parati's run of defeats stretches to five matches, and they have yet to find the back of the net in two of those outings. The clean-sheet run came to an end for them here, but not in a way that offers much comfort. They need the points badly, and the road back is long.