Fluminense switch off after the break, Atlético-MG win 3-1 | OneFootball

Fluminense lost 3-1 to Atlético-MG on Saturday afternoon at Arena MRV in the 27th round of the Brazilian Championship. Reinier, Cuello, and Vitão scored for Galo, while Castillo pulled one back for Tricolor. Both teams rested starters with their midweek matches in mind. Fluminense next face the second leg of the Copa Libertadores quarterfinals against Platense on Tuesday, while Atlético-MG are preparing for their clash with Santos in the Copa Sudamericana on Wednesday.

The first half ended goalless, but both sides had good chances. Fluminense nearly opened the scoring early on when Savarino tried his luck from outside the box and hit the crossbar. Later, Lucho Acosta found Guilherme Arana, who struck first time but was denied by a great save from Gabriel Delfim. Near the end of the first half, Galo improved and looked dangerous. After a fine pass from Fred, Reinier went one-on-one with Fábio and tried to chip the Fluminense keeper, who came out well and closed the angle to make the save.

Fluminense came back poorly after halftime and could not withstand Atlético-MG’s pressure. The better side from the start of the second half, the Minas Gerais team took advantage of a defensive blackout from Tricolor to score twice in quick succession. In the 15th minute, Reinier fired a beautiful shot into the top corner. Two minutes later, Freytes tried to play out from the back, was dispossessed, and Cuello took advantage to extend the lead. The Argentine defender then nearly scored an own goal by deflecting the ball toward his own net, but Fábio made a reflex save. From the resulting corner, Vitão headed against the crossbar and, on the rebound, turned it into the net. In the closing minutes, Fluminense managed to reduce the deficit through Castillo. The Argentine forward received the ball, beat his marker, dribbled past the goalkeeper, and finished nicely to score a great goal. With the defeat, Fluminense remain in fourth place with 45 points, but could lose positions to Bahia and Cruzeiro, who still have to play this round. Fluminense return to action next Tuesday at 7 p.m. against Platense in the second leg of the Copa Libertadores quarterfinals. After winning 2-0 at the Maracanã, Tricolor need to protect their advantage in Argentina to advance to the semifinals.

Photo: Marcelo Gonçalves/FFC

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