Ceará draws at the end, remains undefeated in the Clássico-Rei in 2025 and increases Fortaleza's drama.

The last Clássico-Rei of 2025 was tense and fiercely contested, just as the textbook dictates. At the Arena Castelão, this Thursday, Fortaleza was winning with a goal from Bareiro until the 44th minute of the second half, when Ceará equalized with a goal from top scorer Pedro Raul, securing a 1-1 draw and maintaining their unbeaten record in the derby this season. The match of the 32nd round of the Brazilian Championship kept Ceará in a comfortable position in the table, and incidentally, pushed their rival Fortaleza to second-to-last place.

Up to that point, there had been four matches that year, with three wins for Ceará and one draw. The black-and-white team also won the Campeonato Cearense title against their rival.

Fortaleza were more assertive when they took advantage of a lapse in the Ceará defense, and Bareiro, unmarked, headed the ball in to open the scoring. In the second half, Ceará applied constant pressure and were rewarded in the final stretch when Pedro Raul jumped and headed the ball in to level the score in the derby.

With this result, Fortaleza dropped to second-to-last place, in 19th position, with 29 points, tied with Juventude, but with one less victory than the team from Rio Grande do Sul (8 to 7). Ceará, on the other hand, maintained its distance from the relegation zone, occupying 13th position with 39 points, within the qualifying zone for the 2026 Copa Sudamericana.

The match began at a slow pace, concentrated in midfield, with a lot of battling for space, fouls, and arguments. The teams took turns in possession and exchanged passes between the lines, frequently resorting to long balls to force individual errors in order to exploit counter-attacks and create offensive opportunities.

Ceará was more technically skilled, controlling the pace of their play, but lacking aggression. Fortaleza, on the other hand, was faster, but lacked precision in their build-up play. Finally, they won a corner, and in a set play, Breno Lopes crossed the ball, and Bareiro, unmarked, headed it in alone to score in the 36th minute, giving them a partial victory going into halftime.

The match resumed for a heated second half. Trailing on the scoreboard, Ceará struggled with anxiety, making life easier for the opposing defense. Fortaleza, on the other hand, remained calm, defending their lead, dictating the pace and continuing to exploit their rival's mistakes. Herrera received the ball in the box but was stopped by a great save from Bruno Ferreira.

With the end approaching, Ceará pushed up their lines and began to apply pressure. Fortaleza defended well, but couldn't hold onto possession to breathe. After much persistence, Ceará equalized, with a cross from Marcos Vinícius finding Pedro Raul, who headed it in at the 44th minute, maintaining their unbeaten record in the derby in 2025.

The teams return to the field on Sunday for the 33rd round. Ceará travels to São Paulo (SP), where they face Corinthians at 4 pm at Neo Química Arena. Later, at 8:30 pm, Fortaleza hosts Grêmio at Arena Castelão in Fortaleza (CE).

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Ceará 1 x 1 Fortaleza

CEARÁ – Bruno Ferreira; Fabiano Souza, Marcos Victor, Willian Machado and Matheus Bahia; Vinícius Zanocelo (Lucas Mugni), Fernando Sobral (Diego) and Vina (Lourenço); Galeano (Aylon), Pedro Raul and Pedro Henrique (Fernandinho). Coach: Léo Condé.

FORTALEZA – Brenno; Mancuso, Brítez, Gastón Ávila and Bruno Pacheco; Pierre (Pablo Roberto), Lucas Sasha and Moisés (Lucas Crispim); Bareiro (Lucero), Breno Lopes (Matheus Pereira) and Herrera (Yago Pikachu). Coach: Martín Palermo.

GOALS – Bareiro, at 36 minutes of the first half. Pedro Raul, at 44 minutes of the second half.

REFEREE – Wilton Pereira Sampaio (GO).

YELLOW CARDS – Matheus Bahia, Vina, Aylon, Gastón Ávila, Breno Lopes and Mancuso.

INCOME AND AUDIENCE – Not available.

LOCATION – Arena Castelão, in Fortaleza (CE).