For the fourth year in succession, Grêmio have once again emerged as winners of the Gaucho Championship, painting the state in blue, white and black once again.
Tricolor built on their advantage from the first leg against Internacional and played out to a 1-1 draw in the return leg at the Arena on Sunday. A fourth consecutive championship sees Grêmio repeat their feat from 33 years ago, when they won six state championships in a row back in the 1980s.
Ferreira opened the scoring just before the end of the first half, before Rodrigo Dourado leveled matters for Inter, giving them some hope in the game. However, the game remained that way and Tricolor retained their crown once again. The result also means Gremio have not tasted defeat at the hands of Internacional since 2014. In that time, 18 games have been played between both sides, with 11 draws and seven victories for Gremio.
Gremio finished the campaign as the best side in the competition. They finished first in their group, recorded three more wins in the knockout stages and ended the competition with a draw. In total, they had four wins, four draws and suffered only one defeat.
To go with, Gremio also had the best joint attack alongside Inter and it’s no surprise Diego Souza ended up as the top scorer with seven goals to his name. Tricolor also had the best defensive record of the tournament, having conceded only 12 goals all through.
Before the Brasileirão begins, the two teams have continental commitments midweek. On Wednesday, Inter will take on Always Ready in the Libertadores. Grêmio play against La Equidad on Thursday as they look to complete their Libertadores campaign on a high, having already qualified to the round of 16.
