Sampaoli hails Atlético’s attacking power and derby comeback

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·26 de enero de 2026

Sampaoli hails Atlético’s attacking power and derby comeback

Coach Jorge Sampaoli highlighted Atlético's attitude, aggressiveness, and ability to react after their comeback victory of 2-1 over Cruzeiro this Sunday (25), during the 5th round of the Campeonato Mineiro. In a press conference after the classic match, the Argentine coach analyzed the team's performance, explained the adjustments made during halftime, and valued the result, which marked Galo's first victory of the season after four consecutive draws in the initial rounds.

The match had two very distinct halves. In the first half, Atlético struggled to create clear chances and suffered from the spaces left in the midfield, which resulted in Cruzeiro's goal. However, in the second half, the scenario changed: Galo was superior, scored twice, and still created at least three other clear opportunities to widen the score.

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Sampaoli explained that the change in attitude was directly influenced by the halftime talk: “We talked, corrected the positioning that led to Cruzeiro's goal in a play where we were not well organized. They were finding space in the midfield. The team corrected, had a strong desire to turn the game around, and was rewarded with the comeback. The team remained aggressive, intelligent, and turned a very difficult game against a great rival”, he stated.

The coach also positively evaluated the team's offensive performance, even acknowledging that there are still points to improve: “As a professional, my work is related to the team, which had an offensive performance with prominence. From the first half, we had some actions to tie the game that were neutralized, or there was a lack of precision in the final touch. In the second half, we had more opportunities than in the first, many were created. This has to happen in every match. Today was a key game for our team”, he analyzed, before adding: “Now we need to correct the aspects that need to be corrected, which are many, and keep growing”.

Asked about individual performances, Sampaoli commented on the participation of recent signings and praised Hulk, the scorer of the winning goal:

Regarding the players who were just signed, Preciado had to leave due to a sprain. I believe Victor Hugo played a very good match, with a lot of intelligence and leadership, even though he is not yet physically where we want him to be. What Hulk did is remarkable. He is a player whose history, indeed, protects him. He is always linked to important things. Today he scored an incredible goal in our comeback, something as big as he is and as he has done throughout his career.

Finally, Sampaoli projected the challenging sequence of Atlético's calendar, which already holds a major challenge midweek with the start of the Brazilian Championship:

From now on, every week we will play important matches. On Wednesday, we will face Palmeiras, which is one of the best teams in Brazil. We need to have the same attitude as today and keep working and correcting what needs to be corrected.

Atlético returns to the field next Wednesday (28), at 7 PM, when they face Palmeiras at Arena MRV, for the first round of the Brasileirão. As for the Campeonato Mineiro, Galo plays on Saturday (31), at 4:30 PM, away against Pouso Alegre, in the south of Minas.

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