Cruzeiro slip lets Jardim down, ex-Sporting man frustrated | OneFootball

In the early hours between Thursday and Friday, Cruzeiro, coached by Leonardo Jardim, the former Sporting manager, could do no better than a 3-3 draw away at Juventude, thus missing the chance to close the gap on Flamengo and Palmeiras – the team managed by Abel Ferreira, who also had to settle for a draw – at the top of the Brasileirão table.

At Estádio Alfredo Jaconi, in Caxias do Sul, Juventude started stronger and scored early: Marcelo Hermes made it 1-0 after just eight minutes and Gabriel Taliari increased the lead in the 16th minute with a display of great technical skill, but the first half didn’t end there.

Cruzeiro responded before halftime, pulling one back through Sinisterra in the 41st minute. Leonardo Jardim’s team came back determined for the second half and Kaio Jorge equalized in the 53rd minute. However, just five minutes later, Taliari put Juventude back in front. Near the end, the league’s top scorer appeared again and scored his second of the night, netting his 19th goal of the season and setting the score at 3-3 in the 85th minute.

The result ultimately works against Cruzeiro, who failed to take advantage of the leader Flamengo’s (71 points) 2-1 defeat to Fluminense, or the draw of second-placed Palmeiras (69 points) against Vitória. Leonardo Jardim’s side remains in third place, now with 65 points.

With just four rounds left in the Brasileirão, the title race remains wide open. This weekend, Cruzeiro will host Corinthians (November 23), Palmeiras face Fluminense (22nd), and Flamengo are set to play Red Bull Bragantino.

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