Inter de Limeria and Ferroviaria shared the spoils in a 3-3 draw during the first round of the Second Stage in Brazil's Serie C on Saturday evening. The result means both sides remain on 30 points from 19 games, though Ferroviaria holds third place while Inter de Limeria sits sixth. The match opened with a yellow card for the hosts in the 15th minute before Miguel Bianconi pulled the home side ahead from the penalty spot just before half-time.
And here's the thing about this one — the momentum shifted almost immediately. Vitor Barreto equalised for the visitors in the 45th minute and added three, then Alencar restored the home side's lead in the 53rd. Bianconi struck again five minutes later to make it 3-2, and by then the match had already settled into something more open than the early exchanges suggested.
Getulio brought the visitors level in the 69th minute before Maranhao's late strike in the 90th minute completed the turnaround. There were plenty of changes on the bench as both managers tried to find an answer — Ferroviaria brought on three players in quick succession in the 63rd minute, while Inter de Limeria responded with a double substitution five minutes later. Miguel Bianconi was among those replaced, his evening's work done.
The statistics tell a story that doesn't quite match the scoreboard. Both teams shared possession at 50 per cent, but Ferroviaria launched 131 attacks compared to 87 for the hosts. They registered six shots on target against four, yet their accuracy was lower at 26 per cent. It's the kind of match where chances went begging — plenty of movement, not always the precision to finish.
The draw keeps both sides within touching distance of each other in the table. Ferroviaria's third-place position remains intact despite the setback, while Inter de Limeria's sixth-place standing is unchanged after a run that had included two consecutive goalless draws. The gap between them remains three places, but on points they are level.
