CRB Surrenders Two-Goal Lead as Ferroviária Claws Back: Both Sides Left Wanting in Serie B Stalemate at Estádio Rei Pelé

Maceió—For a brief, electrifying stretch of the first half, CRB looked capable of tightening their grip on the promotion chase. Instead, a resilient Ferroviária side staged a resolute fightback, erasing a two-goal deficit to force a 2-2 draw and leave both teams pondering what might have been on an ambivalent Tuesday night at Estádio Rei Pelé.

With the Serie B race entering its unforgiving home stretch, every point is magnified. CRB, perched in ninth and still clinging to distant hopes of a late surge, appeared poised to cast aside doubts and cement their upward trajectory. Their hosts set out aggressively, and by the 12th minute, Mikael seized the initiative. The striker, who has emerged as a reliable finisher in recent weeks, latched onto a low cross and stabbed home the opener, igniting the stadium with the promise of another home triumph. Mikael’s predatory instincts have become a calling card for this CRB side, and his early strike seemed a harbinger of more to come.

The match’s frenetic tempo rarely abated, and as halftime beckoned, the home side doubled their advantage in dramatic fashion. Dadá Belmonte, CRB’s dynamic attacking midfielder, timed his run to perfection, finishing with authority in the 45th minute for his second goal in as many matches. At 2-0, CRB’s bench erupted, visions of a crucial three points dancing in their heads.

Yet, within seconds, those visions evaporated. Ferroviária—a side more accustomed to dogged survival than spectacle—refused to wilt. Deep into first-half stoppage time, Alencar pounced on a rare lapse in CRB’s back line, steering a composed effort beyond the outstretched Neto Volpi. The timing was ruthless, the impact immediate; CRB’s apparent control had dissolved in an instant.

Ferroviária sensed opportunity where there had seemed only adversity. Emerging for the second half, they played with initiative rarely glimpsed during a stretch that had seen them win just one of their previous five matches, and lose their last two. Carlão, a beacon of determination up front, embodied their new urgency. In the 53rd minute, he capitalized on loose marking from a corner to nod the equalizer over the line, sending shockwaves through the stands and reaffirming why Ferroviária remain so doggedly difficult to dismiss, even at their lowest ebb.

The match threatened to tilt either way during a breathless final half hour. CRB, perhaps nursing the psychological sting of surrendering a lead, struggled to rediscover their early verve. Ferroviária, emboldened by their comeback, pressed for a winner but ultimately lacked the cutting edge to deliver a third. Tempers flared briefly as the stakes came into sharper relief, but the referee’s cards stayed tucked away, and both sides finished at full strength, a testament to the evening’s tension more than any lack of discipline.

For CRB, the draw is laced with frustration. Their recent form—a pair of valuable wins after a tumultuous September—hinted at a team rediscovering belief. Tonight’s two-goal cushion, however, vanished with alarming speed. The result leaves them on 46 points, ninth in the table, just on the fringes of the promotion race, but with precious little margin for further slip-ups. Head coach Daniel Paulista will rue his side’s inability to close, their defensive fragility exposed at pivotal moments. The missed opportunity is all the more acute given their recent resurgence: wins over Goiás and Avaí had sparked whispers of momentum, now threatened by the ghosts of inconsistency.

For Ferroviária, the draw feels more like triumph than reprieve. Mired in a relegation scrap and occupying 16th place, their season has been defined by narrow escapes and faint hopes. A point away at a motivated CRB side, especially after falling two goals behind, is a defiant response to recent setbacks—defeats at the hands of Chapecoense and América Mineiro had darkened the horizon. Their refusal to fold, embodied by Alencar and Carlão, will serve as a rallying point as the campaign nears its close. With 36 points and just a threadbare gap above the drop, every result could yet prove decisive.

History between these two sides has often swung on fine margins, but tonight’s draw—thrilling, flawed, and fiercely contested—proved especially emblematic. Neither team could fashion a decisive moment in the chaotic closing stages, and both are left to wrestle with the implications: for CRB, a precious chance lost in the promotion chase; for Ferroviária, a lifeline snatched, but with survival still far from assured.

As the Serie B calendar dwindles to a precious few fixtures, the stakes only sharpen. For CRB, the margin for error is nearly vanished. For Ferroviária, nerve and resilience will be their only allies. On a night when both sides needed clarity, the scoreboard offered only more questions—and the promise of even greater drama just over the horizon.