Atlético Goianiense secured a 2:1 victory over Ceará at Estádio Antônio Assuoli on Thursday evening, moving up in the Série B standings. The hosts took the lead through Geovany Soares in the twelfth minute after an early strike from Ceará's Guilherme Costa Marques. Melquisedeque Costa De Oliveira sealed the result with a third-quarter goal, despite playing with ten men for the final half-hour.
Ceará opened the scoring at seven minutes through Guilherme Costa Marques, but Soares responded six minutes later to put the hosts ahead. João Pedro picked up a yellow card for Atlético Goianiense at twenty-two minutes, while Bryan Borges Mascarenhas followed suit for Ceará at thirty-eight minutes. The match saw several tactical changes, with Giovanni Pavani coming on for Ceará at twenty-five minutes and both teams making multiple substitutions through the second half.
A red card changed the complexion of the game when José Domingos de Moraes Neto was sent off for Atlético Goianiense at fifty-one minutes. The hosts held firm despite being a man down, with Vinícius booking Ceará at sixty-one minutes and Luiz Otávio picking up a second yellow at eighty-nine minutes. Both sides made numerous substitutions, with Ceará bringing on Matheus Araujo and Sávio António Alves, while Atlético Goianiense introduced Daniel Nascimento Peixoto dos Santos and Sávio António Alves.
Ceará dominated possession at sixty-five percent with 566 total passes compared to 310 for the hosts, but failed to convert their superiority into goals. The visitors created more chances with two big chances and 1.9 expected goals, while Atlético Goianiense managed only one big chance and 0.93 expected goals. Ceará registered five shots on target from thirteen attempts, whereas the hosts managed just two shots on target from seven attempts.
The result moves Atlético Goianiense further clear of the relegation zone, maintaining their position in eighth place with forty points from twenty-six games. Ceará remain in sixteenth place with thirty-one points, twelve points adrift of safety. The hosts have now gone unbeaten in five matches, while Ceará have won only one of their last five outings.
