Brasileirão Série A
Internacional and Atletico-MG play out goalless draw at Beira-Rio
A tight Serie A encounter in Porto Alegre saw few clear chances and a late flurry of bookings.
A dour Serie A clash at Estádio Beira-Rio ended goalless, with neither Internacional nor Atletico-MG able to break the deadlock in front of a late rush of yellow cards.
The home side started brightly but struggled to carve out meaningful openings against a resolute visiting defence. Atletico-MG, meanwhile, looked to hit on the counter but lacked the final ball in the opening period.
The first half offered little in the way of goalmouth drama, with both teams cancelling each other out in midfield. Referee Lucas Casagrande kept a firm but fair watch, allowing play to flow without major incident.
The second half began with renewed energy from both sides, yet the quality in the final third remained elusive. Bruno Gomes became the first player to see yellow in the 48th minute, pulling down a forward in a rare moment of pace from the hosts.
Fred was the next to be cautioned, receiving his booking in the 62nd minute as tempers threatened to fray in the middle of the park. Shortly after, K. Pascini picked up a yellow for Atletico-MG, adding to the growing tension.
As the clock ticked towards full time, the game grew increasingly edgy. R. Villagra was booked in the 72nd minute for a late challenge, and with stoppage time looming, tempers boiled over.
In the 90th minute plus nine, Paulinho Paula and G. Mercado both saw yellow for Internacional, while K. Castano and G. Maripan followed suit for their respective sides in additional time.
The result leaves Internacional in 16th place with 24 points from 23 matches, while Atletico-MG sit eighth on 32 points from 22 games.