Luís Castro's Grêmio took a giant step towards winning the Gaúcho championship by defeating their rivals in the first leg of the final at home, with a score of 3-0. After the expulsion of Bernabei shortly after the half-hour mark, José Enamorado opened the scoring in the 39th minute. Amazu extended the lead to 2-0 just before halftime (45+1'). In the second half, an own goal by Victor Gabriel added to Internacional's misery, leaving them with a Herculean task to turn the tie around in the second leg — next Sunday, March 8. Despite the significant advantage, Luís Castro emphasized the need for caution, stating that the tie is only halfway through. "It's better to be winning 3-0 than losing 1-0 or being tied, but we will quickly realize that anything is possible in football and that there is a very strong team [Inter] ready to engage in a tough battle with us," warned the Portuguese coach of Grêmio. Luís Castro insisted on the need to maintain composure. "I think the fundamental thing is for us to focus on our daily work, which is dignified and honest. Total commitment and continuing on the same path. I believe this does not divert us from our course," he reinforced, adding: "Football is not about us getting euphoric when we win and not getting depressed when we are attacked. We must maintain balance." Regarding the match, Castro highlighted the opponent's ability to react, even when down to ten men: "It was a good game on our part against an opponent who, even with 10 players, never stopped looking at our goal. We had a lot of respect for them, we didn't lose our balance, and because of that, we were able to attack well and comfortably." With this margin of victory, Grêmio could even lose by two goals at Beira-Rio in the second leg of the final; a loss by three goals would lead to a penalty shootout. In the Brasileirão, Luís Castro's team is currently in 8th place with 6 points, after winning against Atlético Mineiro on Thursday.
After the In the remains central to this story.
After the In the remains central to this story.
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