Goals from Marcelo Moreno and Marquinhos helped Grêmio come from behind against Cruzeiro to win 2-1 at the Olímpico to stay in the title hunt with 10 games to go.
Despite Grêmio having most of the early exchanges, it was Cruzeiro who took a first half lead through Anselmo Ramon in the 27th minute with a low shot from the edge of the area that Marcelo Grohe failed to keep out.
The home side continued to look for an equaliser but it wasn’t until the introduction of Marcelo Moreno, a former Cruzeiro player, that they finally got back on level terms. Moreno, who started the game on the bench due to having a fever and sore throat, had an immediate impact and scored just 6 minutes after his introduction.
And Grêmio eventually found a winner through another substitute with 13 minutes left to play. Marquinhos had come on after just 8 minutes of the game for the injured Elano and the midfielder proved his worth with by grabbing the vital winning goal.
Grêmio head coach, Vanderlei Luxemburgo, was delighted with his side’s comeback. He said:
“We are ambitious and never talked less than this. The team is scoring and is alive in the title race.
“The victory was important today, but did not winning would not mean that everything would end.”
