Corinthians outplay Cruzeiro, win Copa do Brasil semi-final first leg | OneFootball

Cruzeiro was unable to take advantage of their home field and was defeated 1-0 by Corinthians on Wednesday at Mineirão, in the first leg of the Copa do Brasil semifinal. The result forces Leonardo Jardim's team to seek a comeback away from home to continue in the competition.

Cruzeiro's performance in the first half was marked by difficulties in creation. Corinthians' marking reduced the spaces and caused errors in the construction of plays, which prevented the Minas Gerais team from establishing control of the match. Corinthians made better use of their opportunities and opened the scoring with Memphis Depay, in a play completed still in the first half.

After the break, Cruzeiro increased their presence in the offensive field, but the offensive production remained limited. Most of the attempts were based on crosses and long balls, without creating clear chances that truly threatened the São Paulo team's advantage. Corinthians managed the result and held off the pressure until the final whistle.

With the defeat, Cruzeiro will need to win by two goals at Neo Química Arena to advance directly to the final. If they win by one goal, the decision will go to penalties. Corinthians can play for a draw. The second match will be on Sunday (14), at 6 p.m. (Brasília time), at Neo Química Arena in São Paulo.

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