Cruzeiro disappoint once more, beaten by Católica at the Mineirão | OneFootball

Cruzeiro’s return to Mineirão for Libertadores nights was far from the ideal script. Against Universidad Católica, the team even responded after going behind, but ended up punished in the final minutes and lost 2-1 in a match valid for the second round of Group D.

The match carried symbolic weight. It marked the club’s reunion with its fans at Minas Gerais’ main stadium in the continental competition after the elimination against River Plate in 2019. With more than 43,000 fans in attendance, the atmosphere was one of high expectations — frustrated by the outcome.

MATCH SUMMARY

On the field, Cruzeiro tried to take the initiative from the opening minutes, but ran into a lack of creativity to break through the Chilean side’s defensive setup. The best chance of the first half came from a shot by Matheus Pereira, which was saved by the opposing goalkeeper. At the other end, Católica showed efficiency in aerial balls. After two dangerous chances from corners, they opened the scoring through Giani, taking advantage of a lapse in the defense.

After the break, the team led by Artur Jorge kept an attacking posture and was rewarded. In the 15th minute, Matheus Pereira converted a penalty won by Kaiki to make it all square. Cruzeiro grew into the game and nearly turned it around with a header from Neyser that hit the post, in addition to other good moves down the left flank.

When the scenario pointed to a late push in search of a comeback, the decisive blow came. In the closing minutes, Jimmy Martínez found himself unmarked after a defensive error and scored with a header, sealing the Chilean victory and silencing Mineirão.

The play that led to the second goal triggered an immediate reaction in the stands. Part of the crowd directed boos at right-back William, who had already been under criticism throughout the season and currently occupies a secondary role in the squad, behind Fagner and Kauã Moraes.

SCHEDULE AND NEXT STEPS

With the result, Group D has become finely balanced. Boca Juniors lead with six points, while Universidad Católica move up to three and hold the edge over Cruzeiro on the head-to-head tiebreaker, leaving the Brazilian side in an alert situation early in the group stage.

Now, Cruzeiro turns its focus to the domestic schedule. The team returns to the field on Saturday, again at Mineirão, to face Grêmio in the Brasileirão. In the Libertadores, the next match will be decisive: a direct clash against Boca Juniors on the 28th in Belo Horizonte.

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