Brazilian football club Gremio took a step toward in securing a place in the Copa do Brasil final by defeating Cruzeiro 1-0 in the first leg of their semi-final in Porto Alegre.
Paraguay striker Lucas Barrios struck the winner just before halftime when he capitalised on a fumble by goalkeeper Fabio to fire in from close range at the Arena Gremio on Wednesday, reports Xinhua news agency.
In the other semi-final, Botafogo and Flamengo played out a goalless draw at the Olympic stadium here.
Both teams were forced to play out the final 10 minutes with 10 men after Alex Muralha and Joel Carli were dismissed for violent conduct.
The winner of the Copa do Brasil qualifies for the Copa Libertadores, South America's top club competition.
--IANS
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