# 1979 Campeonato Gaúcho

The 59th season of the Campeonato Gaúcho kicked off on March 7, 1979, and ended on December 16, 1979. Twenty teams participated. Grêmio won their 21st title. 14 de Julho de Passo Fundo and Cachoeira were relegated.

## Participating teams

| Club | Stadium | Home location | Previous season |
| 14 de Julho | Vermelhão da Serra | Passo Fundo | 13th |
| Avenida | Eucaliptos | Santa Cruz do Sul | 3rd (Second level) |
| Brasil | Bento Freitas | Pelotas | 16th |
| Cachoeira | Joaquim Vidal | Cachoeira do Sul | 2nd (Second level) |
| Caxias | Centenário | Caxias do Sul | 3rd |
| Esportivo | Montanha | Bento Gonçalves | 4th |
| Estrela | Walter Jobim | Estrela | 9th |
| Farroupilha | Nicolau Fico | Pelotas | 17th |
| Gaúcho | Wolmar Salton | Passo Fundo | 10th |
| Grêmio | Pedra Moura | Bagé | 11th |
| Grêmio | Olímpico | Porto Alegre | 2nd |
| Guarany | Estrela D'Alva | Bagé | 14th |
| Internacional | Beira-Rio | Porto Alegre | 1st |
| Internacional | Presidente Vargas | Santa Maria | 12th |
| Juventude | Alfredo Jaconi | Caxias do Sul | 5th |
| Novo Hamburgo | Santa Rosa | Novo Hamburgo | 6th |
| Pelotas | Boca do Lobo | Pelotas | 7th |
| Riograndense | Eucaliptos | Santa Maria | 1st (Second level) |
| São Borja | Vicente Goulart | São Borja | 8th |
| São Paulo | Aldo Dapuzzo | Rio Grande | 15th |

## System

The championship would have four stages.:
* First phase: The twenty clubs played each other in a double round-robin system. The eight best teams qualified to the Final phase, with the best teams in each round and the team with the best overall record earning one bonus point. the other teams in the sum of both rounds would dispute the Torneio de Descenso.
* Torneio de Descenso: The twelve teams would be divided into two groups of six teams, in which each team played the teams if its own group in a double round-robin system. The team with the fewest points in each group would qualify to the Torneio da Morte.
* Torneio da Morte: Played in two-legged knockout ties. In the Semifinals, the two teams from the Torneio de Descenso would play each other, with the loser being relegated, and in the Finals, the winner of the Semifinals would play against the runners-up of the Second level, with the winner qualifying to the First level.
* Final phase: The eight remaining teams played each other in a double round-robin system; the team with the most points won the title.

## Championship
### First phase
#### First round

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Grêmio | 19 | 15 | 3 | 1 | 44 | 6 | +38 | 33 | Qualified;One extra point |
| 2 | Internacional | 19 | 14 | 4 | 1 | 48 | 7 | +41 | 32 | |
| 3 | Juventude | 19 | 11 | 6 | 2 | 31 | 12 | +19 | 28 | |
| 4 | Caxias | 19 | 10 | 6 | 3 | 30 | 15 | +15 | 26 | |
| 5 | Esportivo | 19 | 9 | 8 | 2 | 32 | 18 | +14 | 26 | |
| 6 | Novo Hamburgo | 19 | 10 | 5 | 4 | 23 | 18 | +5 | 25 | |
| 7 | Brasil de Pelotas | 19 | 9 | 6 | 4 | 17 | 11 | +6 | 24 | |
| 8 | 14 de Julho | 19 | 8 | 4 | 7 | 21 | 12 | +9 | 20 | |
| 9 | Internacional de Santa Maria | 19 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 16 | 16 | 0 | 19 | |
| 10 | São Paulo | 19 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 19 | 18 | +1 | 17 | |
| 11 | Gaúcho | 19 | 4 | 9 | 6 | 17 | 22 | −5 | 17 | |
| 12 | São Borja | 19 | 6 | 4 | 9 | 15 | 20 | −5 | 16 | |
| 13 | Grêmio Bagé | 19 | 6 | 2 | 11 | 16 | 31 | −15 | 14 | |
| 14 | Estrela | 19 | 3 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 21 | −11 | 14 | |
| 15 | Guarany de Bagé | 19 | 4 | 5 | 10 | 14 | 28 | −14 | 13 | |
| 16 | Pelotas | 19 | 3 | 7 | 9 | 14 | 27 | −13 | 13 | |
| 17 | Farroupilha | 19 | 3 | 7 | 9 | 20 | 35 | −15 | 13 | |
| 18 | Cachoeira | 19 | 4 | 3 | 12 | 9 | 37 | −28 | 11 | |
| 19 | Avenida | 19 | 3 | 4 | 12 | 17 | 38 | −21 | 10 | |
| 20 | Riograndense | 19 | 3 | 3 | 13 | 15 | 36 | −21 | 9 | |

#### Second round

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Grêmio | 19 | 16 | 3 | 0 | 37 | 6 | +31 | 35 | Qualified;One extra point |
| 2 | Internacional | 19 | 13 | 5 | 1 | 40 | 5 | +35 | 31 | |
| 3 | São Paulo | 19 | 10 | 7 | 2 | 24 | 9 | +15 | 27 | |
| 4 | Gaúcho | 19 | 10 | 6 | 3 | 21 | 12 | +9 | 26 | |
| 5 | Internacional de Santa Maria | 19 | 9 | 6 | 4 | 19 | 7 | +12 | 24 | |
| 6 | Esportivo | 19 | 8 | 7 | 4 | 15 | 11 | +4 | 23 | |
| 7 | Caxias | 19 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 20 | 13 | +7 | 22 | |
| 8 | Juventude | 19 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 21 | 15 | +6 | 21 | |
| 9 | Brasil de Pelotas | 19 | 6 | 8 | 5 | 18 | 17 | +1 | 20 | |
| 10 | Pelotas | 19 | 6 | 8 | 5 | 17 | 16 | +1 | 20 | |
| 11 | Farroupilha | 19 | 6 | 8 | 5 | 18 | 21 | −3 | 20 | |
| 12 | 14 de Julho | 19 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 19 | 21 | −2 | 18 | |
| 13 | Novo Hamburgo | 19 | 5 | 8 | 6 | 15 | 20 | −5 | 18 | |
| 14 | São Borja | 19 | 4 | 5 | 10 | 13 | 27 | −14 | 13 | |
| 15 | Grêmio Bagé | 19 | 3 | 7 | 9 | 4 | 12 | −8 | 13 | |
| 16 | Riograndense | 19 | 5 | 2 | 12 | 16 | 38 | −22 | 12 | |
| 17 | Estrela | 19 | 3 | 6 | 10 | 10 | 19 | −9 | 12 | |
| 18 | Guarany de Bagé | 19 | 4 | 2 | 13 | 12 | 19 | −7 | 10 | |
| 19 | Avenida | 19 | 4 | 2 | 13 | 18 | 41 | −23 | 10 | |
| 20 | Cachoeira | 19 | 1 | 3 | 15 | 10 | 38 | −28 | 5 | |

#### Final standings

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Grêmio | 38 | 31 | 6 | 1 | 81 | 12 | +69 | 68 | Qualified |
| 2 | Internacional | 38 | 27 | 9 | 2 | 88 | 12 | +76 | 63 | Qualified |
| 3 | Juventude | 38 | 18 | 13 | 7 | 52 | 27 | +25 | 49 | Qualified |
| 4 | Esportivo | 38 | 17 | 15 | 6 | 47 | 29 | +18 | 49 | Qualified |
| 5 | Caxias | 38 | 18 | 12 | 8 | 50 | 28 | +22 | 48 | Qualified |
| 6 | São Paulo | 38 | 16 | 12 | 10 | 43 | 27 | +16 | 44 | Qualified |
| 7 | Brasil de Pelotas | 38 | 15 | 14 | 9 | 35 | 28 | +7 | 44 | Qualified |
| 8 | Novo Hamburgo | 38 | 15 | 13 | 10 | 38 | 38 | 0 | 43 | Qualified |
| 9 | Internacional de Santa Maria | 38 | 15 | 13 | 10 | 35 | 23 | +12 | 43 | Relegation Tournament |
| 10 | Gaúcho | 38 | 14 | 15 | 9 | 38 | 34 | +4 | 43 | Relegation Tournament |
| 11 | 14 de Julho | 38 | 14 | 10 | 14 | 40 | 33 | +7 | 38 | Relegation Tournament |
| 12 | Pelotas | 38 | 9 | 15 | 14 | 31 | 43 | −12 | 33 | Relegation Tournament |
| 13 | Farroupilha | 38 | 9 | 15 | 14 | 38 | 56 | −18 | 33 | Relegation Tournament |
| 14 | São Borja | 38 | 10 | 9 | 19 | 28 | 47 | −19 | 29 | Relegation Tournament |
| 15 | Grêmio Bagé | 38 | 9 | 9 | 20 | 20 | 43 | −23 | 27 | Relegation Tournament |
| 16 | Estrela | 38 | 6 | 14 | 18 | 20 | 40 | −20 | 26 | Relegation Tournament |
| 17 | Guarany de Bagé | 38 | 8 | 7 | 23 | 26 | 47 | −21 | 23 | Relegation Tournament |
| 18 | Riograndense | 38 | 8 | 5 | 25 | 31 | 74 | −43 | 21 | Relegation Tournament |
| 19 | Avenida | 38 | 7 | 6 | 25 | 35 | 79 | −44 | 20 | Relegation Tournament |
| 20 | Cachoeira | 38 | 5 | 6 | 27 | 19 | 75 | −56 | 16 | Relegation Tournament |

#### Extra point playoff
### Torneio de Descenso
#### Group A

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Pelotas | 10 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 14 | 6 | +8 | 16 | |
| 2 | Grêmio Bagé | 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 9 | 6 | +3 | 13 | |
| 3 | Internacional de Santa Maria | 10 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 9 | |
| 4 | Farroupilha | 10 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 8 | −2 | 9 | |
| 5 | Guarany de Bagé | 10 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 9 | 8 | +1 | 8 | |
| 6 | Cachoeira | 10 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 17 | −10 | 5 | Relegation Playoffs |

#### Group B

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | São Borja | 10 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 12 | 5 | +7 | 15 | |
| 2 | Gaúcho | 10 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 15 | 9 | +6 | 14 | |
| 3 | Riograndense | 10 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 11 | 10 | +1 | 10 | |
| 4 | Estrela | 10 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 9 | 8 | +1 | 9 | |
| 5 | Avenida | 10 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 10 | 13 | −3 | 8 | |
| 6 | 14 de Julho | 10 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 3 | 15 | −12 | 4 | Relegation Playoffs |

#### Torneio da Morte

| Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Final | Final | Final | Final |
| Cachoeira | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 14 de Julho de Passo Fundo | 0 | 0 | 0 | | | | |
| 14 de Julho de Passo Fundo | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 de Julho de Santana do Livramento (e) | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| | | | | Cachoeira | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Key: * = Play-off winners, (a) = Wins because of away goals rule, (e) = Wins after extra time in second leg, (p) = Wins after penalty shoot-out.

##### Semifinals

Cachoeira advances; 14 de Julho de Passo Fundo relegated

##### Finals

14 de Julho de Santana do Livramento promoted; Cachoeira relegated

### Final phase

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Grêmio | 14 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 26 | 3 | +23 | 27 | Champions;1980 Taça de Ouro |
| 2 | Esportivo | 14 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 14 | 9 | +5 | 18 | |
| 3 | Internacional | 14 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 18 | 8 | +10 | 17 | 1980 Taça de Ouro |
| 4 | São Paulo | 14 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 9 | −3 | 13 | 1980 Taça de Ouro |
| 5 | Novo Hamburgo | 14 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 19 | −11 | 12 | 1980 Taça de Prata |
| 6 | Caxias | 14 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 12 | −4 | 12 | 1980 Taça de Prata |
| 7 | Brasil de Pelotas | 14 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 8 | 15 | −7 | 10 | 1980 Taça de Prata |
| 8 | Juventude | 14 | 0 | 5 | 9 | 2 | 15 | −13 | 6 | 1980 Taça de Prata |