In a direct clash in the battle against relegation, Mirassol and Chapecoense played out a 1-1 draw on Sunday night (10) at the Maião stadium in Mirassol. The match was part of the 15th round of the Brazilian Serie A. Eduardo scored for the home side, while João Victor netted an own goal for the visitors.
The result did little to help either team, as both remain inside the relegation zone (Z4). Mirassol sit in 18th place with 13 points, while Chapecoense occupy the 20th and last position with just nine points and only one win in 14 games.
**How the match unfolded**
The first 45 minutes saw a lackluster performance from both sides. The visitors had the first chance when Everton’s deflected shot was saved by Walter, but that was the only attempt from the Santa Catarina team in the first half.
Chapecoense focused on defending, while Mirassol relied on long-range shots but failed to hit the target even once. Reinaldo and Alesson posed the most danger with strikes from distance. In stoppage time, Mirassol’s best chance came from a backward header by Chapecoense’s Eduardo Doma, but goalkeeper Anderson was well positioned to make a clean save.
Eduardo put the home side ahead in the 25th minute of the second half. Alesson fired from outside the box, and Anderson parried the ball. On the rebound, Willian Machado crossed for the midfielder to score with a first-time finish, giving Mirassol the lead.
Ten minutes later, the visitors equalized through an own goal by João Victor. From Jean Carlos’ corner kick, the ball deflected off the Mirassol defender, hit the post, and then went toward Walter, who partially stopped it, but the ball crossed the line, and the referee signaled the goal.
**Upcoming matches**
In the 16th round, Mirassol travel to Belo Horizonte to face Atlético-MG at the Arena MRV. The match takes place next Saturday (16) at 6:30 PM (Brasília time).
Chapecoense, meanwhile, face another direct rival from the lower half of the table. They host Remo at the Arena Condá next Sunday (17) at 6:30 PM.
