Cruzeiro trust Mineirão edge over Grêmio to revive Brasileiro bid | OneFootball

After a bitter 2-1 defeat to Universidad Católica at Mineirão, conceded in the final minutes of the second Libertadores match, Cruzeiro will have the chance to bounce back at the same stadium, this time in the Brazilian Championship. Against Grêmio, Artur Jorge’s side will try to secure a second straight win in the competition, something that has not happened yet. If they do, it will be only their third victory in 12 matches, an important step in the attempt to leave the relegation zone.

Cruzeiro sit at the top of the bottom four, in 17th place with 10 points, one fewer than Corinthians, the first team outside the zone. Their opponent, also coached by a Portuguese manager, Luís Castro, is going through an inconsistent spell but is in a more comfortable position, sitting 12th with 13 points. Even so, Grêmio come under pressure, without a win in four matches, with two draws and two defeats in that span. The 1-0 victory over Deportivo Riestra in the Copa Sudamericana eased the situation and gave the coach some breathing room.

As an advantage, Cruzeiro hold on to a hoodoo over Grêmio at Mineirão. Their last defeat to the team from Rio Grande do Sul at the stadium came in 2018, by 1-0, right after winning the Campeonato Mineiro against Atlético Mineiro. On that occasion, André scored Grêmio’s winning goal 10 minutes into the second half.

Since then, Cruzeiro and Grêmio have faced each other 13 times in official competitions, across the Brazilian Championship, in Série A and Série B, and the Copa do Brasil.

In Série A, there have been eight matches. In 2018, they drew in Porto Alegre. In 2019, Grêmio had the edge, winning both meetings. From 2023 onward, the matchup became more balanced, with alternating results. In the recent top-flight stretch, Cruzeiro have held a slight edge, especially in the last few seasons. It is worth noting that Grêmio’s away wins came at Independência, not at Mineirão.

In the 2022 Série B season, the teams met twice, with a Cruzeiro win in Belo Horizonte and a draw in Porto Alegre, in direct clashes between clubs chasing promotion.

In the 2023 Copa do Brasil, there were two matches in the round of 16. The first ended in a draw at Grêmio Arena. In the return leg, the team from Rio Grande do Sul won 1-0 at Mineirão and secured qualification.

In the overall head-to-head record, Cruzeiro have the advantage. In 88 matches played, the Minas Gerais side have 38 wins, Grêmio have 27, and there have been 23 draws. Cruzeiro also have the better attacking record, with 109 goals scored and 90 conceded.

Cruzeiro and Grêmio both come into this Saturday’s clash under pressure, scheduled for 8:30 p.m. at Mineirão. Both teams have been dealing with inconsistency and a low number of wins recently. The main difference lies in continuity. Luís Castro has been in charge of Grêmio since the start of the season, while Artur Jorge is heading into only his sixth match in charge of Cruzeiro.

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