Santa Cruz defeats Caxias to climb Série C standings

In the penultimate round of the Campeonato Brasileiro Série C, Santa Cruz secured a 2-0 victory against Caxias at the Arena de Pernambuco. Goals from Eron and Matheus Vinícius propelled the Pernambuco-based team to 28 points, moving them into fourth place and leaving them in control of their own destiny for qualification to the second phase.

Caxias, making the debut of new coach William De Mattia, remains in 11th place with 24 points, requiring a combination of results to advance. The match was marked by a red card for Caxias player Breno Santos in the closing minutes.

In other Série C action, Botafogo-PB secured a 3-1 comeback victory over Guarani. This win brought Botafogo-PB to 30 points, mathematically guaranteeing their qualification for the access quadrangular and temporarily placing them at the top of the standings.