Cricuma secured a 2-0 victory over Cuiabá at the Estádio Eriberto Ulse on Thursday evening, moving them further clear in the Série B Regular Season - 26 campaign. The hosts took the lead after just nineteen minutes when Willean Bernardo found the net, a moment that set the tone for what followed. By then, the Brazilian side had already established their intent, though the game would not unfold as comfortably as the scoreline suggests.
The crucial twenty-minute mark came and went with Cricuma controlling the tempo, though to be fair, Cuiabá had their moments of possession without creating anything meaningful. João Basso turned the tie over in the fifty-third minute with an own goal that proved decisive, leaving the visitors without recourse. The match was never truly in doubt after that, though it took until the closing stages for the hosts to see it out completely.
Both sides made changes around the hour mark, with Cricuma bringing on Rómulo Otero, Jean Dias da Costa and Igor, while Alan Empereur and Guilherme Teixeira Lobo came on for the visitors. The substitutions did not alter the trajectory of the game, and Cricuma's lead held firm through what remained. Eduardo Biasi received a yellow card in the eighty-first minute as Cuiabá searched for something to build upon.
The statistics tell a story of efficiency over dominance. Cricuma managed just one shot on target across the entire ninety minutes, yet they converted their opportunities when they mattered. Cuiabá registered zero shots on target despite creating one big chance, and their expected goals of 1.06 never materialised into actual goals. Both teams held fifty percent possession, but possession meant little without penetration.
The result leaves Cricuma in third place with twenty-five points from twenty-five games, while Cuiabá remain in twelfth with thirty-six points. The hosts have now extended their unbeaten run, though their recent form has been inconsistent. Cuiabá's campaign continues without momentum, and the gap in the table reflects the difference in quality when it counted.
