Match Report
On paper the standings were lopsided — Caxias 1st with 37 points, Náutico 2nd with 8, 29 apart. Recent form told a different story for Caxias: only 25th in the league over the last five rounds despite sitting 1st. Per game in the league, Náutico were scoring 0.83 and conceding 1, Caxias 1.37 and 1.11, against a competition average of 1 goals per team per game.
Five consecutive wins preceded this game for Caxias, having scored in 6 consecutive games. Náutico had banked 8 of the last 15 points on offer; Caxias, 15.
Estádio Eládio de Barros Carvalho in Recife, capacity 22,856, hosted the game. Half-time and full-time told different stories: it was 0-0 at the break, before 2 more goals closed it at 2-0.