Atlético’s first-choice side held to goalless draw by Tombense at Arena MRV | OneFootball

Atlético remains winless in the 2026 Minas Gerais Championship. On the night of this Sunday (18), Galo debuted its main team of the season, but ended in a 0-0 draw with Tombense at Arena MRV, in a match valid for the third round of the State Championship. The result highlighted the team's strong ball possession under the command of Jorge Sampaoli, but also exposed the offensive difficulties at the beginning of the year.

The match marked the debut of two important reinforcements: midfielder Maycon and left-back Renan Lodi. The rest of the team followed a similar base to that used last season, with Hulk as the main reference in the attack, mainly supported by Gustavo Scarpa. This is how Galo took the field:

The Game

From the first minutes, Atlético took the lead in the game, exchanging passes in the offensive field and pushing Tombense into defense. However, despite the territorial dominance, Galo had low offensive productivity in the first half and found it difficult to turn ball possession into clear goal chances.

The Tombos team tried to exploit counterattacks but also had limitations in creation. Even so, they posed a threat at 36 minutes when Rafinha hit Everson's post, in the most acute move of the visiting team in the initial stage. On the black-and-white side, defender Ruan was one of the highlights, both for defensive security and offensive forays. In a corner kick by Scarpa, he rose unmarked to head the ball, but sent it wide, in Galo's best opportunity before the break.

In the second half, Atlético returned with a faster pace, maintaining possession almost entirely and circling Tombense's area. Even so, the lack of offensive inspiration persisted. In another set piece, Dudu hit the crossbar after a deflection by Ruan, while Hulk and Renan Lodi attempted mid-range shots, without success.

Sampaoli made the first change at 12 minutes, with Scarpa leaving for Cuello's entry. Shortly after, Maycon was replaced by Alan Franco. At 25 minutes, the scenario seemed to become even more favorable for Galo: Tombense's defender Wesley was sent off after receiving a second yellow card.

Even with one more player, Atlético continued to struggle against goalkeeper Matheus's good performance and the difficulty of finishing in the final third of the field. In a final attempt to increase offensive power, Sampaoli brought on Reinier in place of Natanael, but the score remained unchanged until the final whistle.

What's Next...

With the draw, Galo reaches three points in the Minas Gerais Championship, accumulating three draws in three matches. The next commitment is a classic: Atlético faces América on Wednesday (21) at 9:30 PM at Independência, in search of their first victory in the state competition.

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