Galo draw derby and take decider to Arena MRV | OneFootball

Atlético drew 1-1 with Cruzeiro this Tuesday (25) at Mineirão in the first leg of the Copa do Brasil quarterfinals. After falling behind, Galo responded and found the equalizer through Renan Lodi, who scored his fifth goal for the Club, fittingly in his 40th match wearing the black-and-white shirt.

The result leaves the race for qualification wide open for the second leg, which will take place next Tuesday (9/1), also at 9 pm, at Arena MRV.

Control and response

Galo controlled the first half and managed to limit the opponent’s actions. With 55% possession, Atlético completed 282 passes at an 89% accuracy rate and had six shots, compared to Cruzeiro’s two.

Bernard played an important role in building the attacking moves. From a corner kick, Vitor Hugo rose above his marker and headed the ball, but it went to the goalkeeper. Cuello also threatened from a set piece, flicking it first time, and the ball traveled across the six-yard box before going out for a goal kick.

The main concern of the first half was Ruan. The center-back suffered a heavy fall after a challenge from Kaio Jorge and tried to stay on the field. Minutes later, he felt the effects again and left the match on medical advice. Vitão, a product of Galo’s academy, replaced him in the 18th minute.

Second half

The second half began with Atlético maintaining its intensity. Early on, Alan Franco was shown a yellow card for a foul on Kaio Jorge. Shortly after, Cuello was also booked.

In the 14th minute, Cruzeiro opened the scoring with a long-range shot from Arroyo.

Galo, however, did not let it shake them. In the 24th minute, the response came. Bernard started the move and found Cuello on the left. The forward drove forward and picked out Renan Lodi inside the box. Even from a tight angle, the left-back struck firmly and leveled it at Mineirão.

View this photo on InstagramA post shared by Clube Atlético Mineiro (@atletico)

Vitão’s composure

Photo: Pedro Souza / Atlético

On a derby night with plenty of responsibility, young Vitão showed composure. Developed in Atlético’s academy, the center-back came on in the first half in a delicate situation after Ruan’s exit.

Without feeling the weight of the moment, Vitão took his place in defense, played the rest of the match, and helped Galo maintain its defensive organization. The performance reinforces the importance of the work done in Atlético’s youth development and shows a player ready to deliver when called upon.

Massa in attendance

As always, Massa stood by Galo away from home. In large numbers at Mineirão, Atlético supporters backed the team throughout the match and were also important during the team’s response after conceding.

The black-and-white presence turned the section reserved for Atlético fans into a constant source of support for the players, in yet another show of Massa’s strength.

Now, Galo turns its attention back to the Brazilian Championship. On Saturday (29), the opponent will be Vitória.

📋 Match sheet

Cruzeiro 1 x 1 AtléticoCompetition: Copa do Brasil – Quarterfinals (first leg)Venue: Mineirão, Belo Horizonte

⚽ Goals: Arroyo, 14' 2nd half; Renan Lodi, 24' 2nd half

📋 Atlético: Everson; Alan Franco, Ruan (Vitão, 18' 1st half), Vitor Hugo and Renan Lodi; Maycon (Natanael, 27' 2nd half), K. Castanho, Bernard (Minda, 27' 2nd half), Fred (Thiago Borbas, 41' 2nd half), Cuello (Preciado, 47' 2nd half) and Cassierra (Cissé, 41' 2nd half).Head coach: Eduardo Domínguez

🟨 Yellow cards: Alan Franco and Cuello

📋 Cruzeiro: Otávio; Fagner (William, 28' 2nd half), Fabrício Bruno, Jonathan Jesus (João Marcelo, at halftime) and Villalba; Lucas Romero, Gerson (Matheus Henrique, 41' 2nd half), Matheus Pereira, Wesley (João Costa, 27' 2nd half), Arroyo (Bruno Rodrigues, 45' 2nd half) and Kaio Jorge (Villarreal, 41' 2nd half).Head coach: Artur Jorge

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