Internacional and Grêmio played out a goalless draw in the quarter-finals of the Brazilian Cup on Wednesday night. The match at the Beira-Rio ended 0:0 after ninety minutes, sending the tie into extra time. And here's the thing — neither side could find an opening despite both creating chances.
The first half saw Internacional control the tempo, though Grêmio were not without their moments. Carlos Vinicius picked up a yellow card in the forty-second minute for the hosts, followed by Matheus Bahia's booking for Grêmio shortly after. Calebe came on for Internacional at half-time, a change that did not shift the balance. The visitors pressed higher in the second period but struggled to break down the home defence.
Substitutions began to change the shape of the game. J. Cabral and Carlos Vinicius were replaced together in the fifty-eighth minute, while J. Carbonero and Paulinho Paula came on for Grêmio in the sixty-fifth. E. Noriega and C. Pavon followed for the visitors in the seventy-eighth, and Bruno Gomes added fresh legs for Internacional in the eighty-seventh. A. Bernabei received a yellow card in the eighty-second before Walter Kannemann was booked in stoppage time alongside his own substitution.
Internacional dominated possession at 52 per cent and registered 115 attacks compared to Grêmio's 82. The hosts managed 10 shots — three on target — while the visitors managed only five, two on target. Expected goals sat at 0.85 for Internacional and 0.38 for Grêmio, a split that reflected who created better opportunities. To be fair, the statistics tell you little about who deserved more.
The draw means the quarter-final will be decided in extra time and possibly penalties. Internacional had not lost in their last five matches before this tie, while Grêmio's recent form has been mixed — two losses in their last three games. The away end never stopped, but the noise could not find a payoff. By then, both managers would be thinking about rotation for the return leg.
