Match Report
On paper the standings were lopsided — Botafogo SP 2nd with 35 points, Joinville 20th with 14, 21 apart. Scoring rates set the scale: Joinville 0.72 scored and 1.94 conceded per game, Botafogo SP 1.89 and 1, with the league averaging 1.25.
Three consecutive defeats weighed on Joinville. Botafogo SP entered with four wins in a row, having scored in 6 consecutive games. The five-game form split read 3/15 points for Joinville against 13/15 for Botafogo SP.
Arena Joinville in Joinville staged the fixture, a ground that holds 22,400. Half-time and full-time told different stories: Botafogo SP led 1-0 at the break, before 1 more goal closed it at 0-2.