Atlético beat Cruzeiro at Mineirão, ease crisis and go above rivals | OneFootball

Cruzeiro and Atlético faced off on Saturday night (2) in the 14th round of the Brazilian Championship Série A. The match, played at Mineirão with a majority of Cruzeiro supporters in attendance, pitted two teams going through very different moments in the season against each other. Cruzeiro, coming off three straight wins, was looking to climb even higher in the table after a poor start to the league campaign, while Atlético, after a month of instability, was trying to move away from the relegation zone.

The match was marked by an efficient Galo side, led by Barba, which found solutions to face its biggest rival, scored its goals, and defended well. Cruzeiro, lost on the field, even had more possession, but was never in control of the game and had to chase the result, unsuccessfully — and with absolutely no creativity — in attack. The tension of the match was also evident in the cards and sending-offs.

Lineups

For the clash against its biggest rival, Arthur Jorge kept the same core of the team that has been playing in both the competition and the Libertadores, with only one change at right-back, starting Kauã Moraes in place of Fagner, who began on the bench. This is how Raposa lined up:

Atlético, meanwhile, suffered last-minute absences. Unable to count on Vitor Hugo and Cuello, two of the team’s best attacking players, Eduardo Dominguez, “Barba,” had to make changes, starting Bernard and Alan Minda. Another surprise was the use of three center-backs. This is how Galo was set up:

The match

First half

The match began with a lot of intensity from both teams, who were mainly marking spaces and feeling each other out. Galo looked to build mainly down the left side, with Renan Lodi in a direct battle with Kauã Moraes. With more work in midfield, Gerson and Matheus Pereira tried to find Kaio Jorge whenever they had the chance.

It was Atlético that struck first. On a quick move down the left, Lodi, who started the play still in the attacking half, crossed into the box, Cassierra managed to set the ball inside the six-yard box for Alan Minda, who made it 1-0 in the 12th minute of the first half.

After the goal, Cruzeiro regained control of possession, but had great difficulty creating chances and breaking through Atlético’s defensive lines, especially the last line, which often had five players protecting the box. Galo, meanwhile, relied on counterattacks and the space it found in the attacking half, even with fewer players forward.

And it was on one of those counterattacking plays that Alan Minda broke into the box and was brought down by Kaiki. Initially, referee Flávio Rodrigues de Souza did not give it, but he was called to the VAR and awarded the penalty. Maycon took it and doubled Galo’s lead: 2-0.

In control of the match, Atlético managed the game just as it wanted and kept a very solid defensive line, preventing any real attacking threat from Cruzeiro. Coach Artur Jorge even made a change before halftime, taking off Kauã Moraes and bringing on Neyser, with Arroyo taking up the role of right-back. The change made Cruzeiro sharper, but even so, Raposa still could not threaten effectively, and the score remained unchanged until the end of the first half.

Second half

The second half began at an even faster pace. Cruzeiro pushed for a goal, keeping possession, but continued to struggle badly to create clear attacking chances. Artur Jorge’s team showed anxiety, while the team led by Barba showed intelligence in defense and continued to pose a threat on the counter.

Artur Jorge made two changes in an attempt to make better use of the ball and Cruzeiro’s territorial control in the attacking half, bringing on Bruno Rodrigues and Wanderson in place of Romero and Christian, respectively, leaving his team even more vulnerable to Galo’s counterattacks. To make things worse for Cruzeiro, Arroyo was sent off after stopping an Atlético attack and receiving his second yellow card. Barba took advantage of the situation to send Reinier onto the field in place of Minda, the standout player of the match up to that point.

Galo, which had nothing to do with Cruzeiro’s problems, took the chance to add another. Lodi, with a flawless cross, found Cassierra between Raposa’s center-backs. The No. 9 only had to tap it in, all alone. Galo 3-0.

Cruzeiro’s problems only got worse: after a hard challenge on Natanael, Kaiki had his yellow card reviewed by VAR and was sent off, leaving Cruzeiro with nine men on the field against an Atlético side that was increasingly in control of the match. Barba took advantage of the circumstances to bring on Kauã Pascini for Bernard.

Artur Jorge tried to change course by taking off Matheus Pereira and Gerson and adding two more defenders: Matheus Henrique and João Marcelo. In a match full of tension, the football itself gradually faded into the background: Lyanco hit Bruno Rodrigues near the byline and received a second yellow card, being sent off. Before leaving the field, the center-back also exchanged words with his teammate Lodi.

Cruzeiro still tried to attack Atlético and won a penalty when, after a cross from Bruno Rodrigues, Kaio Jorge was brought down while challenging for the ball. Kaio Jorge stepped up and converted. Cruzeiro 1-3 Atlético.

The consolation goal did not change the overall picture of the match. With one player fewer, Cruzeiro could no longer keep possession as it had before, nor create good opportunities. Atlético kept pushing on the counterattack with long passes orchestrated by Renan Lodi. And that was how the match ended, with three points for Galo, which reached 17 points and moved above its rival in the standings.

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