Grêmio is immersed in an unusual football crisis. Although it managed to reach the round of 16 in the Copa Libertadores, in the domestic league it has suffered five consecutive defeats and is in the relegation spots, albeit with two games in hand compared to other teams in the red zone.
READ MORE
++ 2024 Brasileirão standings after Matchday 10: Four giants in relegation spots
++ FH: Botafogo’s home shirt chosen as the best in May 2024
To find the last win of the Porto Alegre team in the Brasileirão, we have to go back two months: on April 20th, they won 1-0 at home against Cuiabá. Since then, they have suffered five consecutive losses, although in the meantime, tragic floods occurred that left dead and evacuated in southern Brazil.
The Arena do Grêmio was rendered unusable due to rising water levels, and although work is underway to restore the turf and other areas of the stadium, there is no specific date for returning to play there. Meanwhile, the Tricolor from Rio Grande do Sul is playing home games in Curitiba, about 740 kilometers away by highway.
Today, the Couto Pereira Stadium will host Internacional in the city derby. It will be the first time that the derby, known as Gre-Nal, will be played in a state other than Rio Grande do Sul, whose capital is Porto Alegre.
Agora é com o comandante Renato! 🇪🇪🔐 Treino técnico em preparação para o #Grenal442! pic.twitter.com/eTHeZrl4Qq
— Grêmio FBPA (@Gremio) June 20, 2024
The team led by Renato Portaluppi cannot afford any errors as the second-to-last in the standings, tied on points with the last-placed Fluminense, ironically their rival in the round of 16 of the Libertadores. In its favor, Grêmio has two games in hand compared to other teams in the red zone due to matches postponed by the floods.
A key factor explaining the current poor campaign is the lack of goals. They have scored only 6, the worst record so far in the tournament, although, again, with the caveat that they owe two matches.
The departure of Luis Suárez is still a fresh wound for the runner-up in the last Brasileirão. Diego Costa arrived to replace him, though the forward who represented Atlético Madrid and Chelsea is far from matching the goal-scoring numbers of the Uruguayan.
