Grêmio beats Athletico-PR 2-0, leaves relegation zone after five rounds

Grêmio defeated Athletico-PR 2-0 at Arena do Grêmio in Porto Alegre on Thursday, 29 October 2026, during the 33rd round of the Brasileirão. The victory was Grêmio's second consecutive league win and lifted the team out of the relegation zone after five rounds there.

Marlon scored from a free kick and Balbuena added the second after a corner, both coming from set pieces. Grêmio struggled to convert open-play chances despite creating more offensive opportunities than its opponent.

“I was not changing one tire with the car moving, I was changing all four.”

With 37 points, Grêmio temporarily moved into 15th place, two points ahead of Internacional, which occupies the first relegation spot with 35 points. Athletico-PR dropped to fifth place with 54 points and remains in a pre-Libertadores qualification position.

Coach Renato Gaúcho said he had to change all four tires while the car was moving because he inherited a club in poor condition. He added that the players' confidence was zero when he arrived and that he had to work heavily on their mentality.

Grêmio will host Atlético-MG on Sunday in the first leg of the Copa do Brasil semifinals at 18:30. In the league, Grêmio visits Flamengo at Maracanã next Wednesday at 19:30, while Athletico-PR hosts Vasco at Arena da Baixada at the same time.