Cruzeiro end Brasileiro with 3-0 loss to Santos using reserves | OneFootball

Cruzeiro ended its participation in the Brazilian Championship with a defeat. Using a completely reserve team, the celestial team was defeated by Santos 3-0 on Sunday afternoon (7), at Vila Belmiro. The goals for Peixe were scored by Thaciano, twice, and João Schmidt, in a match valid for the last round of the competition.

With the Brazilian Cup semifinal on the horizon, Leonardo Jardim chose to preserve the starters and fielded an alternative lineup. The match served to give playing time to players who had been playing less and also to promote debuts of youth academy players in the main squad, already thinking about the decisive clash against Corinthians.

The defeat put an end to a long unbeaten streak for Cruzeiro in the Brasileirão. The team hadn't lost in 12 games — the last defeat was against Vasco, 2-0, in São Januário, still in the 25th round. The team closed the championship with the best campaign since the titles of 2013 and 2014. The team finished in third place, totaling 70 points and recording 19 wins, 13 draws, and only six losses, with a success rate of 61.4%.

For Santos, the result was significant. Besides confirming their stay in Serie A, Santos secured a spot in the 2026 Copa Sudamericana by finishing the tournament in 13th place, with 47 points.

GAME SUMMARY

Santos took control of the match from the early minutes and secured the victory before halftime. In a great performance, Thaciano scored two consecutive goals and gave the home team a comfortable lead. Neymar, Guilherme, and Igor Vinicius also performed well and contributed to Santos' dominance. Cruzeiro even found the net with a beautiful outside-foot shot by Gabigol, but the play was ruled offside.

In the return for the second half, the pace slowed a bit, but Santos remained more organized. Cruzeiro managed to create some opportunities but did not convert them into goals. Taking advantage of another precise corner kick by Guilherme, João Schmidt headed firmly and sealed the score, confirming a perfect afternoon for the Vila Belmiro team.

Cruzeiro's Schedule

With the end of the Brasileirão, Cruzeiro turns its full attention to the Brazilian Cup semifinal. Next Wednesday (10), at 9:30 PM (Brasília time), the team led by Leonardo Jardim faces Corinthians at Mineirão, in Belo Horizonte, for the first leg.

The decision for the spot will be at the weekend. The decisive match is scheduled for Sunday (14), at 6 PM, at the Neo Química Arena, in São Paulo, where Cruzeiro will try to secure a place in the final of the national tournament.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.