Brazilian Serie B Round 12: Where Draws Were Trendier Than Samba Shorts

Having analyzed Brazilian football for a decade, I can confirm Serie B consistently delivers more drama per square meter than most telenovelas. Let’s dissect Round 12 where 40% of matches ended level - statistically higher than the league average (which already sits at a notably Brazilian 28%).

The Neverending Story: Goalless Affairs

Three matches ended 0-0 - including Avai vs Paysandu where both teams combined for precisely 1.7 xG across 180 minutes of football (that’s approximately one decent chance per £5 spent on stadium beer). Meanwhile, Remo vs Cuiabá proved defensive organization can be beautiful when played at glacial speed.

Late Show Specialists

Volta Redonda 3-2 Paraná deserves its own Netflix documentary after producing:

• A 90+3’ winner
• Two lead changes after the 80th minute
• xG stats that made both goalkeepers blush (4.1 conceded from 2.3 expected)

The result keeps Volta Redonda in playoff contention while leaving Paraná’s defense needing therapy.

Promotional Candidates Flex Muscles

Goiás (2nd) showed why they’re automatic promotion favorites with a disciplined 1-0 win at Paraná. Their 58% away possession stat reveals their Serie A pedigree, though their xG of 0.8 suggests they’ve adopted the “score once and park the bus” philosophy championed by Mourinho disciples everywhere.

Meanwhile, CRB surprised with back-to-back wins despite playing like “a pub team that found matching kits” during August. Their set-piece conversion rate (38%) would make Brentford’s analysts nod approvingly.

Relegation Six-Pointer Drama

The 1-0 thriller between Botafogo-SP and Chapecoense wasn’t pretty but had relegation implications written all over it. Chapecoense’s inability to score against ten men for 35 minutes raises existential questions their manager will ponder during his inevitable unemployment.

What Comes Next?

With 14 rounds remaining, the promotion race has more twists than a Liane Moriarty novel. Keep an eye on:

• Criciúma’s aerial dominance (62% duel success)
• Whether Londrina can maintain their improbable playoff push
• Which goalkeeper will next emulate a revolving door (current leader: Avai’s #1 with -3.2 goals prevented)

The beauty of Serie B? Just when you think you’ve cracked it, someone loses 5-2 at home to a team that hadn’t scored in three games (cough Criciúma cough).