Fortaleza Esporte Clube faces Sport with Marcelo Benevenuto, former Tricolor do Pici defender, now at the Pernambucan team. Benevenuto knows well the weight of a Sport x Fortaleza decisive match for the Copa do Nordeste. This Wednesday, however, the scenario will be different from what the defender experienced in 2022, when he was on the tricolor side. If before he played for Leão do Pici in a final marked by controversies and frustration for the rubro-negro team, now he will be one of the leaders of Sport in the attempt to lead the Pernambucan club back to the regional decision. Benevenuto was on the field in the 2-1 rubro-negro victory over Fortaleza, at Castelão, a result that put Sport in advantage in the duel and ended a historical drought without leonine victories over the cearense rival away from home in the Copa do Nordeste. Walking towards the semifinal return match, Benevenuto arrives surrounded by symbolism. The defender was an involuntary protagonist of one of the most discussed moves of the 2022 final. At 21 minutes of the first half, the then rubro-negro attacker Javier Parraguez invaded the area after a long pass and fell after contact with the defender. The referee let it go and the VAR did not recommend a review, a move that generated strong revolt among Sport fans and became a recurring topic until today among the rubro-negros. Benevenuto recalled the 2022 final and said he felt the weight of the rubro-negro atmosphere still as an adversary. So, now, Benevenuto lives the other side of the story. Instead of facing the pressure of the Ilha, the defender will have more than 20 thousand rubro-negros pushing Sport in search of another regional final. Benevenuto has become one of the main references of the defensive system assembled by Márcio Goiano. Secure in marking, strong in aerial balls and also important offensively in set pieces, the defender assumed protagonism. Sport seeks classification for the Copa do Nordeste final and Benevenuto will be fundamental for the Pernambucan team. With the experience of having played for Fortaleza Esporte Clube, Benevenuto can be a trump card for Sport. The game will be played at Ilha do Retiro and Sport seeks victory to qualify for the final. Fortaleza Esporte Clube, on the other hand, seeks victory to maintain the chances of classification. The confrontation promises to be exciting and Benevenuto will be one of the main players on the field. But the match will not be easy for either team. The Sport team has been working hard to improve their performance and Benevenuto has been a key player in this process. And the Fortaleza Esporte Clube team will not give up easily, they will fight to the end to try to win the match.