Botafogo defeated Red Bull Bragantino 2-1 away in the Brazilian Championship, temporarily leaving the relegation zone. Goals from Alex Telles and Alexander Barboza secured the win, with goalkeeper Raul's saves standing out. The result eased pressure on coach Martín Anselmi.
Botafogo secured an important 2-1 away win over Red Bull Bragantino at Estádio Municipal Cícero de Souza Marques in a Brazilian Championship match on March 21, 2026. Alex Telles opened the scoring at the 8th minute of the first half, converting a VAR-confirmed penalty after a foul on Joaquín Correa. Lucas Barbosa equalized at the 14th minute, but Alexander Barboza scored the winner at the 25th minute of the second half with a header from Danilo's cross. A Mosquera goal for Bragantino was disallowed for offside, and Raul made crucial saves, including one on Lucas Braga's shot after a one-two with Mosquera and another in stoppage time, securing the three points. Botafogo moved to 15th place with six points, temporarily out of the relegation zone (Z-4), while Bragantino stayed at 12th. This was Botafogo's second win in the tournament under coach Martín Anselmi, who had faced recent pressure. Post-match, defender Barboza emphasized the result's importance: “Very important. We had been working hard to win games and weren't managing it. [...] The players, the entire coaching staff, and the fans deserved this victory.” He also backed the coach: “Both he and the whole staff work very hard, and he didn't deserve to lose games given how dedicated he is.” Fans and Botafogo's official profile praised Raul on social media. The next match is against Athletico-PR on the 29th at Arena da Baixada.
