Bernard and Dudu praise Atlético-MG after Sul-Americana final spot | OneFootball

This Tuesday, in the second leg of the Copa Sudamericana semifinals, Atlético-MG defeated Independiente del Valle 3-1 at Arena MRV and secured a spot in the grand final of the competition. Standout players for the Minas Gerais team in the match, Bernard and Dudu, praised the squad’s achievement and looked ahead to the final, which will be played in Asunción, Paraguay, on November 22.

Bernard, who scored one of the goals in the victory, celebrated the chance to play in another continental final for Galo: “It’s the club’s first-ever Sudamericana final. Being present both for the first Libertadores title and now for this possible Sudamericana triumph means a lot to me. It’s something huge within such a big club,” he told ESPN.

“Since the start of the competition, we’ve said we had the ability to reach the final and fight for the title. I’m sure we have a very strong group for that. We know we’ll face challenges in the final, but we’ll be well prepared for any adversity, always focused on winning this title,” the forward added.

Another standout was Dudu, who provided the assists for Atlético-MG’s first two goals—the first by Guilherme Arana and the second by Bernard himself. The full-back praised the team’s collective effort and also commented on the squad’s current situation in the national league.

“The team really deserves this. We’ve had a very tough year, both in the Brazilian Championship and in the Sudamericana, with very hard-fought matches, but we handled this semifinal well. We played two great games. Now we need to focus on the Brasileiro before thinking about the final,” he said.

Currently, Atlético-MG sits in 13th place in the Brazilian Championship, with 36 points—11 fewer than Botafogo, who closes out the G6 with 47. Thus, winning the Sudamericana stands out as the club’s main path to securing a spot in the next edition of the Libertadores.

“His (Sampaoli’s) coaching staff as well, but Cuca’s always gave me a lot of confidence. It was a big responsibility to come to Galo, and I’m happy to be living up to it. The team deserves congratulations for the semifinal we played. Now we need to stay focused on the Brasileiro, because we know the final is only in 20 days and we need to prepare well,” Dudu concluded.

Atlético-MG’s next match

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