November 27 – Botafogo are on course to claim their first Brazilian league crown since 1995 after a 3-1 away victory against direct rivals Palmeiras, who were reduced to ten men.
The Rio club opened the scoring with a strike from Gregore in the 19th minute before exploiting their numerical advantage to run out 3-1 winners and claim a crucial three points with just two match days left in the season. Botafogo top the table with 73 points, three more than the Sao Paulo club and defending champions.
In the remaining two fixtures, the Rio de Janeiro club face Internacional and Sao Paulo. It would be their league crown since the days of Tulio Maravilha in the mid 90s. Botafogo have a recent reputation for squandering opportunities in remarkable fashion and with the win against Palmeiras, the side overcame a major psychological hurdle.
Manager Arthur Jorge called it “an extraordinary adventure”.
He said: “We still have six more points up for grabs and we have to continue working in the same way as today because we will also have very strong rivals. Today, we had a very difficult opponent, who has been putting up a tremendous fight. Today, it could only be like that. Only by having a Botafogo of this level would it be possible to win like we did. I want to dedicate the victory to our fans, because they deserved it, to enjoy this moment. After some doubts, today, we probably showed that we are alive, that we are fighting, that we will continue fighting.”
The landmark win is as a great boost ahead of Saturday’s Copa Libertadores final against Atletico Mineiro in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Botafogo have never won the continent’s premier club competition. In the semi-finals, they eliminated Penarol of Uruguay 6-3 on aggregate after winning the first leg 5-1. The competition’s winner will play in Fifa’s Intercontinental Cup.
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