Caravaggio made history on Wednesday night, February 12, 2025, at the Estádio Heriberto Hülse, defeating Criciúma 2-1 for the first time ever at this level of the Campeonato Catarinense. This milestone victory saw the Azulão da Montanha not only end Criciúma's unbeaten streak but also lift themselves out of the relegation zone.
The match, marking the ninth round of the season, began with Criciúma pressing hard for the early advantage. Their efforts paid off when the team’s captain, Rodrigo, opened the scoring at the 26-minute mark, heading home from a corner kick delivered by Marcelo Hermes. Despite dominating ball possession and creating numerous scoring opportunities, the Tigre struggled to capitalize, maintaining just a narrow lead.
Yet, Caravaggio had different plans. They equalized before halftime, courtesy of Henik, who converted a penalty after the ball struck the hand of Luciano Castán, making it 1-1 as fans propelled the visiting side forward.
The second half started dramatically for Caravaggio. Just two minutes in, Gênesis executed a brilliant turn inside the area after receiving the ball from Jessé, firing it past goalkeeper Caíque to complete the turnaround. The sudden lead shifted the momentum entirely as Caravaggio began to control the pace.
Late in the match, both teams faced turmoil as tensions flared. A controversial exchange led to the expulsion of both Jessé from Caravaggio and Criciúma’s goalkeeper Caíque, when Caíque attempted to remove Jessé from the field after he delayed leaving for a substitution. With both teams reduced to ten men, the final push saw Criciúma desperately trying to find an equalizer.
Despite their efforts, Criciúma could not break through, and the match ended with Caravaggio taking all three points, leaving them at the important tenth position with nine points, away from the relegation zone. Meanwhile, Criciúma dropped to third place on the table with 13 points.
With this being their first victory over Criciúma and their second win of the season, Caravaggio will look to build on this momentum as they face Figueirense next, aiming to solidify their standing. Meanwhile, Criciúma will be eager to bounce back as they host Marcílio Dias this Saturday, February 15, hoping to regain their footing and eye the top of the table.
The match was witnessed by 9,277 spectators and generated significant financial returns, indicating the importance and excitement surrounding this historic clash.