Cruzeiro limp in second half, thrashed by Botafogo in Brasileiro opener | OneFootball

Cruzeiro's debut in the Brazilian Championship was marked by a shameful and concerning performance. In a night of two completely distinct halves, the team initially created chances but squandered clear opportunities, lost emotional and tactical control of the match, and ended up being thrashed by Botafogo 4-0, this Thursday (29), at Nilton Santos.

What started as a balanced game quickly turned into an alarming portrait of fragility, lack of reaction, and low competitiveness, extending the celestial negative streak and fully raising the alert signal at the beginning of the "Tite era," already pressured by results and, mainly, by performance.

GAME SUMMARY

The first half at Nilton Santos ended goalless, but with a more favorable script for Cruzeiro during much of the initial 49 minutes. After a game start with Botafogo trying to impose themselves territorially, the celestial team adjusted their marking, began to press the opponent's ball exit, and took control of the offensive actions, especially from the middle of the stage.

Cruzeiro created the main chances of the period. Kaio Jorge was the protagonist: he had a goal disallowed for offside after going face to face with Neto, wasted another clear opportunity by delaying the finish even free in the area, and still appeared well in corner plays. Kaiki Bruno also came very close to opening the score when he received a rebound inside the area and stopped at a great save by the Botafogo goalkeeper. Wanderson, with a header, and Matheus Pereira, with a medium-distance shot, also posed a threat.

On Botafogo's side, the best opportunities came from aerial balls, mainly with Arthur Cabral, who headed dangerously after a precise delivery from Alex Telles. Despite this, the Rio team created little in supported play and could not turn balanced ball possession into effective dominance.

The second half was a faithful portrayal of Cruzeiro's collapse at Nilton Santos. Even trying to maintain an offensive posture in the first minutes, the celestial team returned disorganized and ended up punished by Botafogo's efficiency and speed.

Just 3 minutes in, Danilo opened the scoring in a well-worked play, taking advantage of a pass from Arthur Cabral after an infiltration through the middle. The goal completely changed the match's scenario. Cruzeiro even tried to react, created some chances, and forced Neto to make good saves, but began to expose themselves more and more defensively.

At 31, in a blistering counterattack, Matheus Martins sprinted in speed after a pass from Montoro and finished with style as Cássio came out, extending the score. Tite's team felt the blow, lost intensity, and began to give excessive spaces. Shortly after, at 40, Danilo appeared again, now with a header, completely free in the area, to score the third goal and turn the defeat into a rout.

In the final minutes, the scenario was of total alvinegro dominance. With Cruzeiro downcast and making mistakes in ball exit, Matheus Martins intercepted a pass in midfield and served Artur, who sprinted, displaced Cássio with coolness, and closed the score at 4-0, at 46 minutes, sealing an implacable performance by Botafogo.

The final stretch still had "olé" chants from the crowd, celebration at Nilton Santos, and the confirmation of a historic result: besides the rout, Botafogo ended a nearly ten-year drought without beating Cruzeiro, while the Cabuloso left the field pressured, exposed, and with clear signs of a worrying technical and emotional moment.

Cruzeiro's Schedule

After the setback in the Brazilian Championship debut, Cruzeiro shifts focus and turns its attention to the Minas Gerais Championship. The team takes the field next Sunday (1st), at 8 PM, against Betim, at Arena Vera Cruz, in a match valid for the sixth round of the State Championship. The duel takes on decisive contours for the celestial moment, as the team seeks to interrupt the negative streak, relieve pressure, and provide a response in terms of performance and result.

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