Cruzeiro shine, come from behind against Bahia and pull clear of Z-4 | OneFootball

Cruzeiro earned an important victory over Bahia at Arena Fonte Nova in a match marked by intensity and plenty of chances for both sides. Although the Bahia side started by putting on the pressure, the team from Minas Gerais showed more attacking presence for much of the game and managed to come from behind in the second half.

MATCH SUMMARY

Right in the opening minutes, Bahia threatened with a shot from Sanabria inside the box, but Cruzeiro responded quickly with fast moves down the flanks. Sinisterra looked dangerous on a counterattack that was blocked by the defense, while Matheus Pereira found space well in the area but shot wide.

The situation turned favorable for the home side in the 24th minute, when Willian José won a penalty in a challenge with Fabrício Bruno. From the spot, Luciano Juba calmly converted to open the scoring at Fonte Nova.

Even trailing on the scoreboard, Cruzeiro kept controlling the attacking play. Fabrício Bruno nearly equalized with a dangerous header, and the goal finally came in the 41st minute. After a good passing move, Kauã Moraes broke into the box and fired a powerful shot to level the match before halftime. Lifted by the equalizer, Cruzeiro still created more chances with Romero and Gerson on mid-range efforts, while Bahia left the pitch under complaints from the fans.

At the start of the second half, the team from Minas Gerais maintained its aggressive approach and dominated the main attacking actions until the closing stages. Sinisterra even found the net, but the play was eventually ruled out. Matheus Pereira nearly scored with a header, and Kaio Jorge missed a great one-on-one chance with the goalkeeper.

Cruzeiro kept pressing and forced Léo Vieira into action on a shot from Villalba after an aerial assist from Fabrício Bruno. Bahia tried to respond through runs by Ademir and, later on, created good chances with Everaldo and Kike Olivera, taking advantage of a spell in which both teams traded attacks.

But the more efficient side ended up being the team in blue. In the 40th minute, Kaique Kenji made a great individual play and scored Cruzeiro’s go-ahead goal. In the final minutes, Rodrigo Nestor still tried to find an equalizer for Bahia with a long-range shot, but Cruzeiro remained closer to adding another goal, especially in another chance for Kaio Jorge.

NEXT STEPS

With the three points, Cruzeiro moved up the table and opened a gap from the relegation zone. The club reached 19 points and temporarily climbed to 10th place in the Brasileirão. Bahia, meanwhile, stayed on 22 points, still in the upper half of the standings.

After the important win over Bahia in the Brazilian Championship, Cruzeiro now turns its attention to the Copa do Brasil. The team from Minas Gerais will next face Goiás on Tuesday (12) at 9:30 p.m. at Mineirão in the second leg of the fifth round of the competition.

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