Grêmio oust Atlético-MG, reach Copa do Brasil final and book Libertadores

Grêmio oust Atlético-MG, reach Copa do Brasil final and book Libertadores In front of a packed Arena MRV, Grêmio drew 1–1 with Atlético-MG on Saturday (7) and advanced to the 2026 Copa do Brasil final with a 3–1 aggregate win. Highlights coming shortly The Tricolor Gaúcho now await either Palmeiras or Vasco in the tournament's grand final, a one-off match on December 6 at Estádio Mané Garrincha in Brasília. Along with reaching the Copa do Brasil final, Grêmio have also secured a place in the 2027 CONMEBOL Libertadores. This season, the CBF ruled that both finalists in the domestic cup automatically qualify for the Libertadores, with the champions going straight into the group stage and the runners-up entering one of the preliminary knockout rounds. So, despite being deep in a relegation battle in the Brasileirão, sitting third from bottom (18th) with 37 points, Grêmio will chase their sixth Copa do Brasil title (1989, 1994, 1997, 2001 and 2016) and fourth Libertadores crown (1983, 1995 and 2017). Coach Renato Portaluppi was also in charge for the Imortal Tricolor's most recent domestic and continental triumphs (and was the hero of their first Libertadores title in 1983). On top of all that, Grêmio's bank balance will be grateful, too. Reaching the Copa do Brasil final guarantees the club from Rio Grande do Sul another R$34 million (the amount the CBF pays the runners-up), which could rise to R$78 million if they win the title. ⚽ The match Holding a 2–0 lead from the first leg, Grêmio took to the pitch knowing the equation was firmly in their favor. After all, they could lose by one goal and still advance to the Copa do Brasil final. And that scenario came about after 25 minutes, when Renan Lodi unleashed a thunderbolt from outside the box to open the scoring for Atlético-MG. But before halftime, Carlos Vinícius headed home Noriega's cross to level the score, giving cup specialists Grêmio plenty of breathing room. After the break, the Tricolor Gaúcho defended so well that goalkeeper Weverton barely had anything to do. The downpour in Belo Horizonte, which nearly knocked out the lights at Arena MRV twice, and a late red card for center-back Vitão made Renato Gaúcho's team's task considerably easier. 🚦 What's next Grêmio await either Palmeiras or Vasco as their opponents in the 2026 Copa do Brasil final. Having won the first leg 1–0, the Verdão need only a draw on Sunday (8) at São Januário, at 5 p.m. Brasília time, to reach the final. The Cruz-Maltino, meanwhile, need to win by two goals to advance. A one-goal victory would send the tie to penalties. With the international break coming up (Brazil play Japan and Singapore on November 14 and 17, respectively), the Tricolor Gaúcho will not play again until the 18th, when they face Bahia in Porto Alegre in Matchweek 35 of the Brasileirão. Atlético-MG, however, return to action on November 14, visiting Mirassol at the Maião in the opening game of Matchweek 35. This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.