Brasileirão’s week 16 is over and we bring you some of the highlights of this week. If you would like a more detailed explanation of the graphs used, please see this text here. Let’s check out the matches!
Grêmio 2 x 1 Athlético PR
- Grêmio took most of its shots from the right. Luan played up front, while Thaciano and Tardelli appeared more frequently in midfield behind the team’s #7.
- Athletico created good chances but had a lot of shots blocked inside the box. The team concentrated the passes mainly on the left side, with Márcio Azevedo very active. In front, Ronny was positioned to the penalty box and was the one who shot most.
- Expected Goals:
- Grêmio = 0.74
- Athletico PR = 1.16
Goiás 2 x 1 Internacional
- Goiás once more sought to play in a “vertical” style, with few passes always towards the goal (especially after the Léo Sena’s red card). Michael was the highlight of the team. The #11 was the player who finished the most for the team and received the most passes.
- O Internacional não conseguiu o homem a mais em campo e foi derrotado pelo Goiás. O colorado criou algumas boas chances, em zonas centrais dentro da área, mas foi parado pelo goleiro Tadeu. Parede foi o principal nome do time, jogando próximo a área.
- Internacional failed to get take advantage of the extra man on the field and was defeated by Goiás. The Colorado created some good chances in central areas within the 18 yard box, but was stopped by goalkeeper Tadeu. Parede was the team’s main player, frequently near the box.
- Expected Goals:
- Goiás = 0.89
- Internacional = 1.17
Ceará 0 x 3 Flamengo
- Ceará tried to attack Flamengo and was very present in the attacking field. The Vozão had several shots, however many chances were of poor quality. Vinícius Lima was the with the most finishes, especially from outside the box on the left side.
- Flamengo displayed a different playing style against Ceará. The team created less chances but was very objective and effective (almost all shots were from within the 18 yard box). Overall, the team was more active on defense, exchanged fewer passes and was clinical during attacks.
- Expected Goals:
- Ceará = 1.33
- Flamengo = 0.93
Avaí 1 x 1 Corinthians
- Avai had more shots than Corinthians, but most of their finishes were from far distances and caused virtually no danger. The best chance created by the team was in a set piece, which resulted in goal Richard Franco’s goal.
- Corinthians played with an alternative starting XI did not maintain the same level of the post-Copa America matches, creating fewer chances against Avaí. Boselli was not very impactful was replaced by Vagner Love. Matheus Jesus had an interesting performance and is a good substitute when Júnior Urso does not play.
- Expected Goals:
- Avaí = 0.48
- Corinthians = 1.57
Vasco 2 x 0 São Paulo
- Vasco made one of their best Brasileirão games this weekend. Talles Magno was the highlight of the team. Playing wide on the left side, the attacker finished 4 times and made 5 passes for shots. Marrony also made a great start acting as center forward.
- O São Paulo teve dificuldades em criar mesmo antes da expulsão de Raniel. O time mais uma fez concentrou o jogo pela direita, com Dani Alves, Juanfran e Antony aparecendo naquele lado. Tricolor sofreu com a pressão Vascaína durante e não conseguiu trocar passes no ataque.
- Sao Paulo had difficulties creating in this match, even before Raniel’s red card. The team once again concentrated the game on the right side, with Dani Alves, Juanfran and Antony as frequent passers. Tricolor suffered from Vasco’s high/mid pressure during and could not control the ball while in attack.
- Expected Goals:
- Vasco = 1.53
- São Paulo = 0.34
Atlético MG 0 x 1 Bahia
- Atlético was the team with the most shots this week (20 finishes), but was stopped by goalkeeper Douglas. Midfielder Nathan was a frequent presence in attack, and took 6 shots (the individual record for this week). In addition the team attacked more frequently from the right side, with Guga involved in many passes.
- Bahia attacked mainly from the left side, with Lucca open on the wing. The team scored a goal early on and finished few times in the remainder of the match. Goalkeeper Douglas had a solid performance and helped Bahia with great saves.
- Expected Goals:
- Atlético MG = 1.27
- Bahia = 0.59
Botafogo 0 x 0 Chapecoense
- Botafogo had all their shots withing central regions against Chape. Diego Souza was the one who finished most in the team (5 times). Gustavo Bochecha acted as the first defensive midfielder, and chose the direction of plays along with João Paulo. Marcinho, on the left, advanced further while Gilson stayed behind.
- Chapecoense had few passes during the game, and finished mostly on the left side. Chape’s main weapon is still Everaldo, the attacker receives the ball from all sorts of directions and distances.
- Expected Goals:
- Botafogo = 1.03
- Chapecoense = 0.8
Santos 3 x 3 Fortaleza
- Offensively, Santos had a good performance. Evandro played on the position usually held by Sánchez; Marinho was very active; and Sasha and Jorge had a positive impact on the match. However, the team conceded chances close to the 6 yard box area that cost the victory.
- O Fortaleza buscou um empate heroico contra o Santos. O time não finalizou muito, mas criou duas ótimas chances que garantiram o empate. Juninho e Felipe distribuiriam o jogo no meio campo. W Paulista esteve presente no campo de defesa quando o time se defendia.
- Fortaleza managed to get a heroic tie against Santos. The team did not shoot much, but created two great chances that guaranteed a positive result on an away match. Juninho and Felipe distributed passes in midfield. Wellington Paulista was present in the defensive field when the team was on a defensive phase.
- Expected Goals:
- Santos = 1.23
- Fortaleza = 1.17
CSA 1 x 1 Cruzeiro
- The CSA had many shots against Cruzeiro, but not many significant chances. The “gringos” Bustamante (Paraguay) and Jonathan Gómez (Argentina) were the main finishers of the Alagoas team.
- O Cruzeiro teve Thiago Neves jogando bem avançado e centralizado enquanto Robinho atuou na mesma linha de Henrique. Nas laterais, Dodô esteve mais presente no ataque do que Orejuela. É interessante ver que o goleiro Fábio está trocando muitos passes com os zagueiros e volantes.
- Cruzeiro had Thiago Neves playing very high up and centered while Robinho was positioned in the same line as Henrique. On wings, Dodô was more present in the attack than Orejuela. It is interesting to see that goalkeeper Fabio is exchanging many passes with the defenders and midfielders after the new coach Rogério Ceni took over.
- Expected Goals:
- CSA = 0.79
- Cruzeiro = 0.95
Palmeiras x Fluminense
- Expected Goals
- Palmeiras = 2.48
- Fluminense = 0.64
Algolritmo's founder. I have a bachelor's in Computer Science and a master's in Analytics. My goal is to bring a new perspective into Brazilian football. I'm particularly interested in communicating complex ideas through simple data visualizations.
I graduated in Computer Science and Business Administration at the University of Southern California and got a masters degree in Analytics at the same institution. I have worked as a Data Science intern at companies such as Facebook, Itaú and Looqbox.