Matheus Pereira hails Cruzeiro response: “We turned it around”

In partnership with

Deus me Dibre

·20 September 2026

Matheus Pereira hails Cruzeiro response: “We turned it around”

Scorer of the goal that sealed Cruzeiro’s 3-1 win over Vitória this Sunday (20) at Barradão, Matheus Pereira praised the team’s ability to react after a first half in which Raposa struggled to create chances. According to the midfielder, the team managed to change its approach after halftime and come from behind away from home.

Speaking on the pitch in an interview with GETV, Matheus acknowledged that Cruzeiro had trouble finding space in the opening half. Vitória took the lead before the break, but the Belo Horizonte side came back differently in the second half and managed to turn the game around.

OneFootball Videos

“We had a bit of difficulty in the first half finding the clearest chances. They had one play and scored. The team deserves congratulations and knew how to come back, play the game, and it was an excellent match from everyone,” he said.

The No. 10 scored Cruzeiro’s third goal in stoppage time. On a counterattack, Arroyo carried the ball forward and found Matheus Pereira, who finished with class to secure all three points for Raposa.

The win also kept Cruzeiro close to the Libertadores qualification zone. With 45 points, the team remains in sixth place and needs to cut the gap to the top five in the remaining rounds.

Matheus Pereira admitted that the objective has not yet been achieved, but stressed the squad’s confidence in the closing stretch of the Brazilian Championship. For the midfielder, the main thing is to focus on their own results and earn as many points as possible.

“Unfortunately, we’re not in the top five, it’s complicated, but we’re confident. We have to do our job, think about ourselves, and get the maximum number of points possible for our objective, which is the Libertadores.”

With the win in Salvador, Cruzeiro ended the round closer to the top teams and gained confidence for the rest of the competition. Raposa stayed in 6th place with 45 points, one point behind Bahia in 5th with 46 and Athletico in 4th with 46. The two teams face each other at 7:30 p.m. this Sunday. Cruzeiro will now have a break in the schedule and will return to action against São Paulo at Mineirão in the 29th round of the Brazilian Championship on 07/10 at 9:30 p.m.

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