Criciúma saw off Avaí 3-0 at the Estádio Eriberto Ulse on Sunday evening, a result that keeps them in fifth place in the Série B table. It was a match where the hosts controlled territory but struggled to convert chances until the second half opened up. To be fair, Avaí had their moments in the first period, but the visitors could not afford another slip after a run of poor form. The three points move them four points clear of the relegation zone, and they will want to build on this momentum.
The turning point came around the twentieth minute, when Criciúma began to stretch the play more deliberately. Reynaldo Cesar Moraes turned the ball into his own net in the forty-ninth minute, giving the hosts a lead they would not surrender. By then, the visitors were already showing signs of frustration, and Zé Ricardo's red card in the fifty-fifth minute changed everything. The captain dragged his side through the remainder of the match, but the numerical disadvantage proved decisive.
Luciano Castan restored composure with a goal in the fifty-ninth minute, and Willean Bernardo added a third in the eighty-second. Criciúma created one big chance throughout the match but managed to score three times, which suggests they took their opportunities when they came. The visitors registered zero shots on target, and their goalkeeper made three saves that were never truly tested. The clean-sheet run came to an end for Avaí, who have now conceded in every match since their last victory.
The statistics tell the story of a one-sided encounter. Criciúma held 66 per cent possession and completed 546 passes against 232 for the visitors. They registered 546 successful passes to 232 for Avaí, and their expected goals of 0.82 contrasted sharply with the visitors' 0.05. Shots accuracy sat at 26 per cent for the hosts, meaning they wasted more chances than they converted, yet the result reflected the flow of the game.
Avaí's record now stands at eighteen points from their last ten matches, and they sit seventeenth in the table. They have lost sixteen of their thirty games this season and cannot afford another slip if they want to avoid the drop. Criciúma, meanwhile, remain five points clear of the relegation places and will hope this performance signals a shift in their fortunes.
The hosts had won only one of their last five matches before this victory, and the visitors were coming off a goalless draw with Vila Nova. Both teams entered the fixture under pressure, but Criciúma showed more resilience when it mattered. The academy graduate marked his first start with a goal, and the result gives them something to build on before the next round.
