Cruzeiro fight back late to beat Flamengo at Mineirão | OneFootball

Three days after being eliminated by Flamengo in the Copa Libertadores, Cruzeiro got the response it needed. This Saturday (22), Raposa defeated Rubro-Negro 2-1, coming from behind at Mineirão in the 24th round of the Brazilian Championship, and turned the frustration of its exit from the continental tournament into an important win in the domestic competition.

The result also carried special weight because of the opponent. After the 2-1 defeat at the Maracanã, which ended Cruzeiro’s run in the Libertadores, the teams met again in Belo Horizonte. This time, however, Cruzeiro responded after falling behind and completed the comeback in the second half.

With the three points, Cruzeiro reached 39 points and remained in the top five of the Brasileirão. Artur Jorge’s team also claimed its fourth straight win in the competition.

The match

Cruzeiro started the game trying to press Flamengo, but found an opponent willing to control possession and exploit the spaces left by the home side. Kaio Jorge had a good chance in the ninth minute, but his shot was blocked.

Flamengo, meanwhile, managed to threaten on a few occasions and opened the scoring in the 21st minute. Arrascaeta found Pedro in a good position inside the box, and the striker finished past Otávio to put the visitors ahead.

Behind on the scoreboard, Cruzeiro tried to speed things up, but could not turn the pressure into clear chances before halftime. The team went into the locker room once again needing to respond against Flamengo, just as it had tried to do in the second half of the Libertadores match.

Cruzeiro responds in the second half

Cruzeiro’s approach changed after the break. The team pushed further into the attacking half and found the equalizer nine minutes into the second half.

Matheus Henrique received the ball in the middle and switched play to Keny Arroyo. The Ecuadorian controlled it, cut inside, and fired a beautiful shot into Rossi’s top corner, leaving the Argentine goalkeeper with no chance. The equalizer put Cruzeiro back in the game and increased the pressure on Flamengo.

After it became 1-1, the teams alternated spells of pressure. Flamengo created chances to regain the lead, while Cruzeiro also found spaces, especially in the final minutes.

Artur Jorge made changes to keep up the tempo and push for the win. Gerson, Kaique Kenji, Néiser Villareal, and Zé Lucas came on in the second half, while Wesley also got minutes in the match.

When the draw seemed all but certain, Cruzeiro found the winner with the last play of the game. In the 49th minute, after a ball was sent into the box, Matheus Pereira appeared unmarked and finished to score. The shot still took a deflection off the Flamengo defense before ending up in the back of the net, sending Mineirão into celebration.

The No. 10, who had been heavily criticized after the Libertadores elimination, ended up being decisive precisely against the opponent that had ended Cruzeiro’s dream in the continental competition.

The goal sealed the 2-1 victory and gave Cruzeiro an immediate response after the elimination. Instead of letting the defeat at the Maracanã affect the rest of the season, the team managed to react against the same opponent and picked up three important points in the Brasileirão.

Next match

Cruzeiro now shifts its focus back to the Copa do Brasil. On Tuesday (25), the team faces Atlético-MG in the quarterfinals of the competition.

After the derby, Raposa will turn its attention back to the Brazilian Championship. The next match will be against Vasco away from home on Saturday (29) in the national tournament.

Match details

Cruzeiro 2 x 1 Flamengo

Competition: Brazilian Championship – Round 24Date: August 22, 2026Time: 8:30 p.m. (Brasília time)Venue: Mineirão, in Belo Horizonte (MG)

Goals: Pedro, 21 minutes into the 1st half (Flamengo); Keny Arroyo, 9 minutes into the 2nd half, and Matheus Pereira, 49 minutes into the 2nd half (Cruzeiro).

Cruzeiro: Otávio; Fagner, Fabrício Bruno, João Marcelo and Lucas Villalba; Lucas Romero, Matheus Henrique and Matheus Pereira; Arroyo, João Costa and Kaio Jorge. Coach: Artur Jorge.Substitutions: Wesley (João Costa), Gerson (Lucas Romero), Kaique Kenji (Arroyo), Néiser Villareal (Kaio Jorge) and Zé Lucas (Matheus Henrique).

Flamengo: Rossi; Varela, Léo Ortiz, Danilo and Ayrton Lucas; Erick Pulgar, Lucas Paquetá, Arrascaeta and Carrascal; Samuel Lino and Pedro. Coach: Leonardo Jardim.Substitutions: Jorginho (Arrascaeta), Gonzalo Plata (Samuel Lino), Bruno Henrique (Lucas Paquetá), Evertton Araújo (Erick Pulgar) and Luiz Araújo (Pedro).

Referee: Rodrigo José Pereira de Lima (PE)Assistants: Danilo Ricardo Simon Manis (SP) and Nailton Júnior de Sousa Oliveira (CE)Yellow cards: João Marcelo, Fabrício Bruno and Wesley (Cruzeiro); Bruno Henrique (Flamengo).

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