Leonardo Jardim rues Cruzeiro’s attacking pressure not yielding goals

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·9 November 2025

Leonardo Jardim rues Cruzeiro’s attacking pressure not yielding goals

Cruzeiro ended in a goalless draw with Fluminense this Sunday (9), at Mineirão, in a match marked by balance and inspired saves, especially by goalkeeper Fábio, the former Cruzeiro player and standout of the game.

Despite controlling possession and maintaining an offensive posture, the team from Minas Gerais couldn't turn their dominance into goals and left the field with the feeling that they could have done more.

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After the final whistle, coach Leonardo Jardim assessed the team's performance, highlighting the evolution throughout the match and Cruzeiro's good second half.

“The game had a first period, between 20 and 25 minutes, that was very fragmented. I think Cruzeiro couldn't play, and from then on we started to have the ball, we managed to control the game better in the last 20 minutes. We were dominant in the second half, we had some volume, but this volume didn't translate into goals, and in football, we need goals to win games, and we didn't manage that,” analyzed the coach.

The coach also commented on the fight for a direct spot in the Copa Libertadores, emphasizing that the group's focus remains on the top of the table.

“This indirect qualification is a sub-objective, the real goal is a direct qualification in the group stage. For that, we still need to secure three points, which might be enough. We all know that we will always make the next game the most important to consolidate our position. We've been in the championship for seven months, always in the top places, and we don't want to drop in the final part.”

Leonardo Jardim also took the opportunity to criticize the refereeing at Mineirão, especially regarding the number of cards shown during the game.

“Honestly, I didn't understand the number of cards given. The game was very fragmented, but those who didn't see it might think seven yellows meant a war game. All were carded in the first half, and in the second half, there were missing second yellows for many, from Cruzeiro and Fluminense. I think the strategy to manage a game shouldn't be this, giving a yellow for any foul and then turning a blind eye, but I've already said that I'm not the one who whistles, everyone has their strategy.”

Even without a positive result, the coach highlighted the defensive balance of both teams and Cruzeiro's attempts to seek the goal.

“When goals aren't scored, it's always due to the defenses' merit over the attacks. As the home team, we always have the ambition for the result, we took risks already in the middle of the second half with another striker, then with another offensive player, but we couldn't finish. Today, the defenses were superior to the attack.”

Finally, the coach commented on the break for the FIFA Date, which will be the last before the final stretch of the season.

“This last break, as I've told the players, is the last bottle of water we'll have, because after that, in 21 days, we'll have five championship games and possibly four for the cup. This means nine games in 30 days. We're talking about three days and a bit for each game, so this will be a great rest to finish the season with the energy we still have.”

Cruzeiro returns to the field only on November 20, when they face Juventude at Alfredo Jaconi in Caxias do Sul, in a decisive match for maintaining their position in the top four of the Brazilian league.

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