In one of the biggest crises in Gaucho football, Internacional and Grêmio face off in the Copa do Brasil
oglobo27 August 2026 at 04:00
In one of the biggest crises in Rio Grande do Sul football, Internacional and Grêmio face off in the Copa do Brasil amid serious problems both on and off the pitch. The Gre-Nal derby, scheduled for today at 8 PM at Beira-Rio, in the first leg of the quarterfinals, represents an opportunity for recovery for both teams, which occupy worrying positions in the Brazilian Championship table — Grêmio is 15th and Inter is 16th, both with 25 points, close to the relegation zone. The "seesaw" between the rivals, which historically alternated moments of glory, seems to have broken, with both clubs facing years of poor performance. The match is seen as a chance to avoid a disastrous end to the year and get back on track for the season.
SC Braga secured a goalless draw away to Austria Wien in Vienna, ensuring progression to the next phase of the Europa Conference League. In the second leg, the Portuguese team recorded only one shot on target, committed 34 fouls without receiving any cards, and managed the result to secure qualification.
Benfica secured qualification for the league phase of the Europa League by beating Aarhus 3-1 in Denmark, repeating the result from the first leg. The goals were scored by Prestianni (two) and Rafa, while Carstensen scored for the Danish team. The league phase draw will take place in Monaco on Friday.
The "Minho warriors" drew zero-all in Vienna against an Austrian team, a result sufficient to guarantee passage to the league phase of the Europa League Conference, after they won the first leg 2-0.
André Villas-Boas, president of FC Porto, considered the Champions League draw as "always difficult", but argued that the weight of the dragons' history demands a good campaign in the European competition.
