Nicolas scored a header in the 50th minute of the second half to secure a 1-0 victory for Goiás against Ponte Preta at the Serrinha stadium in Goiânia. The win keeps Goiás in contention for the Série B playoffs as they head into the final round of the competition.
Nicolas secures late victory
Goiás maintained their pursuit of promotion with a last-minute goal during their 37th-round Série B fixture on Sunday, November 8, 2026. According to reports from UOL, the decisive moment arrived in the 50th minute of the second half when Nicolas connected with a Lourenço corner kick to find the top corner of the net.
The match was characterized by Goiás’s sustained pressure and frequent missed opportunities. Wellington Rato, Jean Carlos and Anselmo Ramon attempted shots but all without direction, and in the 39th minute, Rato was stopped by the marking during a rehearsed corner kick, as reported by UOL.
Ponte Preta nearly disrupted the home side’s ambitions during the match. UOL noted that Peu nearly opened the scoring for the visitors in the 34th minute, but Djalma cleared the ball off the line to preserve the deadlock.
Ponte Preta misses chances
The visitors, already relegated to Série C, caused tension for the home crowd late in the game. Gazeta Esportiva reported that Brandão missed a major opportunity in the 47th minute when he failed to convert a chance after being left one-on-one with goalkeeper Tadeu.
After Brandão’s miss, Nicolas scored from a corner kick to secure a 1-0 victory for Goiás.
Goiás climbs to 8th place ahead of Sport Recife match
Gazeta Esportiva stated that the win moves Goiás to 58 points, climbing to 8th place in the standings.
Goiás now faces a decisive final match against Sport Recife. To secure a spot in the promotion playoffs, the club must earn points in Recife and hope that CRB fails to win their final fixture, according to Gazeta Esportiva.
Ponte Preta remains at the bottom of the table. ESPN Brasil confirmed the club is already relegated to Série C and currently holds only 15 points.
🆚 Ponte Preta ⏰ 19h15 🏟️ Estádio Hailé Pinheiro 📺 @disneyplusbr#GECxPTP#brasileiraob pic.twitter.com/tb8JlynAc2
Goiás faces financial pressure
Manager Mozart played the match without Lucas Rodrigues and Luisão, both of whom were serving suspensions following third yellow card accumulations, according to ESPN Brasil. The likely Goiás lineup was: Tadeu, Djalma, Luiz Felipe, Lucas Ribeiro and Nicolas Vichiatto; Lourenço, Machado, Jean Carlos, Lucas Lima and Kadu; Felipe Clemente.
Metric shows Goiás win and Ponte Preta relegation
| Metric | Goiás | Ponte Preta |
|---|---|---|
| Final Score | 1 | 0 |
| Current Points | 58 | 15 |
| League Position | 8th | Bottom (Relegated) |
Next scheduled fixtures
Goiás will travel to Recife to face Sport Recife at the Estádio Adelmar da Costa Carvalho on Saturday, November 14, 2026, at 4:30 p.m. local time. Ponte Preta is scheduled to play Operário-PR at the Estádio Moisés Lucarelli on the same day at 4:30 p.m. local time.
Already relegated, the Ponte Preta squad, with two confirmed absentees due to suspension—Danilo Barcelos and Vinicius Ferrari—sought a victory to mitigate their poor campaign in Série B. The probable Ponte Preta lineup was: Guilherme Viana; Di Mauro, Sergio Palacios, Gabriel Caran and Diego (Jota); Rodrigo Souza, Dênis Borges and Karl; Danilo Peu, David da Hora and Brandão.
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