Gremio dispatches Inter in the Rio Grande do Sul derby, advances to Copa do Brasil semifinals

Twenty two minutes. That's all Gremio needed to settle the tie against Inter and make it clear who wanted the semifinal berth more. The Rio Grande do Sul derby in the Copa do Brasil, which had been left wide open after a scoreless draw in the first leg, was decided by a commanding 3-1 that leaves the Tricolor with one and a half feet in the next round of the tournament.

Luis Castro's game plan could not have worked out better. With the tie level and no away goals rule in play, the coach chose to strike early and give Inter no time to settle into its famously solid defense. The gamble paid off perfectly: Carlos Vinicius played the role of local hero, scoring twice before the first half hour was up and silencing any hope of a response from the visitors.

Inter, which had shown order and patience in the first leg, never found a way into this match. The team was overrun in midfield and had no clear answers for erasing the deficit. As if to underline that this simply wasn't its night, Gremio struck again right after the break: Croatian midfielder Filip Krovinovic stretched the lead to three goals and effectively snuffed out any hope of a comeback.

With the result already decided, Vitinho pulled one back for Inter, adding a bit of respectability to the scoreline, though it came far too late to change the course of the match. The final 3-1 was a faithful reflection of what happened on the field: a Gremio side that was superior from the first minute and an Inter team that never managed to get into the game.

South American names in the spotlight

The match carried extra flavor for South American fans, as Gremio's lineup featured several familiar names from the region. Argentine defender Walter Kannemann, alongside compatriots Cristian Pavon and Juan Nardoni, were part of the squad that celebrated the win in Porto Alegre.

With this result, Gremio advances to the Copa do Brasil semifinals, where it will face a challenge of a different order: Atletico Mineiro, coached by Argentine Eduardo Dominguez. It will be another two legged tie promising tension right down to the final whistle, which is quickly becoming the norm in this edition of the tournament.

For Inter, meanwhile, the elimination stings twice as much: going out at the hands of your fiercest rival always leaves a special mark on a season, and now all the focus shifts to the other fronts the club still has ahead of it.