Cruzeiro bounce back after exits, beat Athletico eye G4 again | OneFootball

Cruzeiro responded immediately after their elimination from the Copa do Brasil. This Sunday (6), Raposa beat Athletico-PR 3-1 at Mineirão in the 26th round of the Brazilian Championship and returned to winning ways in the competition.

Matheus Pereira opened the scoring in the first half, but João Cruz leveled things before the break. In the second half, Lucas Romero put Cruzeiro back in front, while Kaio Jorge, from the penalty spot, sealed the scoreline.

With the result, Cruzeiro reached 42 points and cut the gap to Athletico-PR, who started the round in third place with 45, to three points. The team in blue sits in sixth place and was aiming to close in on the group fighting for a direct place in next season’s Copa Libertadores.

MATCH SUMMARY

Cruzeiro dominates and opens the scoring at Mineirão

Cruzeiro started the match on the front foot, looking to press Athletico-PR high up the pitch. In the opening minutes, Matheus Henrique and Gerson tried their luck from outside the box, while Keny Arroyo also appeared as an attacking option.

Athletico had a few chances from mid-range shots, mainly through João Cruz and Leozinho, but found Otávio alert. In the 11th minute, Gilberto had the first more dangerous chance inside the box, but his effort was saved by the Cruzeiro goalkeeper.

Raposa kept creating and hit the target in the 25th minute, when Arroyo received the ball from Matheus Pereira and shot from outside the area. Shortly afterward, João Marcelo also threatened in the air following a corner kick.

Cruzeiro’s pressure paid off in the 30th minute. Fágner received the ball on the right and crossed into the box. Matheus Pereira appeared between the defenders and headed past Mycael to put Cruzeiro ahead at Mineirão.

After the goal, Cruzeiro kept threatening. Keny Arroyo had another opportunity, while Matheus Pereira also found himself in a good position to extend the lead.

Disallowed goal, missed penalty, and Athletico equalizer

Late in the first half, Cruzeiro had a string of key moments. In the 43rd minute, Matheus Henrique did find the net, but the goal was disallowed after a VAR review for offside in the build-up.

Shortly after, in the 50th minute, Matheus Pereira was fouled inside the box and the referee awarded a penalty after a VAR review. The No. 10 took it himself, but Mycael saved the shot in the bottom right corner and prevented Cruzeiro’s second goal.

The missed chance was punished. Deep into stoppage time, in the 46th minute, João Cruz received the ball on the left, drove forward, and unleashed a beautiful shot from outside the box. The ball hit the post before ending up in the back of the net, making it 1-1.

Romero puts Cruzeiro back in front

Cruzeiro came back for the second half trying to regain the lead and kept an attacking posture. Athletico threatened in the opening minutes through Kevin Viveros, but Otávio came up big again with a save.

In the 18th minute, Matheus Henrique tried from outside the box and forced a save from Mycael. Right after that, Arroyo also had two chances, but could not score.

In the 25th minute, Artur Jorge brought on Wesley in place of Keny Arroyo. The change had an immediate effect.

One minute later, in the 26th, Cruzeiro went back in front. After a move built up in attack, Lucas Romero appeared inside the box and finished with his right foot to score Cruzeiro’s second goal.

The defensive midfielder, who had been one of Cruzeiro’s most important players in the derby against Atlético-MG in the Copa do Brasil, once again came up decisively in attack and restored Raposa’s advantage.

Kaio Jorge seals the win from the spot

With Cruzeiro in front, Athletico tried to respond and pushed forward more. The team from Paraná had a few chances through Viveros and Juan Portilla, but could not beat Otávio.

In the 34th minute, Cruzeiro earned another chance to extend the lead. Kaio Jorge received the ball inside the box and was fouled by Mycael. The referee pointed to the spot, and the striker took responsibility for the kick.

This time, Athletico’s goalkeeper could not stop it. In the 37th minute, Kaio Jorge struck with his right foot and scored Cruzeiro’s third goal.

In the closing stages, Artur Jorge made three more changes. João Costa replaced Gerson in the 42nd minute, while Zé Lucas and Luciano Rodríguez came on for Matheus Henrique and Kaio Jorge, respectively, in the 47th.

Athletico still tried to pull one back in the final minutes, but Cruzeiro managed the lead and confirmed a 3-1 win at Mineirão.

RESPONSE AFTER THE ELIMINATION

The win represents an important response from Cruzeiro after a week of pressure on the club. The team had been knocked out by Atlético-MG in the Copa do Brasil quarterfinals last Tuesday, just days after also exiting the Libertadores against Flamengo.

After the elimination from the national knockout tournament, fans even staged protests in Belo Horizonte, criticizing the squad, head coach Artur Jorge, and the club’s board.

On the pitch, however, Raposa responded against an opponent sitting in third place and arriving at Mineirão on the back of a positive run in the Brasileirão.

With the three points, Cruzeiro moves to 42 and closes back in on the race for the top positions. The club’s stated goal for the final stretch of the season is to secure a Libertadores spot once again.

The team will now have a week to prepare for the clash against Santos next Saturday (6) at Vila Belmiro at 9 p.m. Brasília time.

MATCH DETAILS

Cruzeiro 3-1 Athletico-PRCompetition: Brazilian Championship – Round 26Date: September 6, 2026Venue: Mineirão, Belo Horizonte-MG

Goals:Cruzeiro: Matheus Pereira, 30’1H; Lucas Romero, 26’2H; Kaio Jorge, 37’2HAthletico-PR: João Cruz, 46’1H

Cruzeiro: Otávio; Fágner, Fabrício Bruno, João Marcelo and Gabriel Rojas; Lucas Romero, Gerson (João Costa, 42’2H), Matheus Henrique (Zé Lucas, 47’2H) and Matheus Pereira; Keny Arroyo (Wesley, 25’2H) and Kaio Jorge (Luciano Rodríguez, 47’2H). Head coach: Artur Jorge.

Athletico-PR: Mycael; Arthur Dias, Juan Aguirre, Dantas and Gilberto; Jádson, Luiz Gustavo, João Cruz (Bruno Zapelli, 21’2H); Leozinho (Kerwin Vargas, 20’2H), Steven Mendoza and Kevin Viveros (Renan Peixoto, 36’2H). Head coach: Odair Hellmann.

Yellow cards: Gabriel Rojas, Fabrício Bruno (Cruzeiro); Juan Aguirre and Mycael (Athletico-PR).

Officials: Daiane Muniz (SP), assisted by Leila Naiara Moreira da Cruz (DF) and Maíra Mastella Moreira (RS). VAR: Daniel Nobre Bins (RS).

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