Match Report
18 points separated the sides: Maringá 1st on 32, Pouso Alegre 6th on 14. Pouso Alegre had been under-performing their position — 41st on five-round form against 6th in the table. Per game in the league, Pouso Alegre were scoring 0.79 and conceding 0.64, Maringá 1.79 and 0.71, against a competition average of 1.12 goals per team per game.
6 games without a win framed Pouso Alegre's arrival. Defeat had not touched Maringá in 7 games, having scored in 9 consecutive games. From the last five rounds, Pouso Alegre held 3 points of 15 and Maringá 11.
The venue was Estádio Municipal Irmão Gino Maria Rossi in Pouso Alegre, with room for 26,000 spectators. Half-time and full-time told different stories: it was 0-0 at the break, before 1 more goal closed it at 0-1.