Artur Jorge lifts Cruzeiro to 4th in Brasileiro, on in the cups | OneFootball

The break for the World Cup interrupts a period of growth for Cruzeiro this season. When Artur Jorge took charge of the team in early April, the situation was completely different: the club was at the bottom of the Brazilian Championship table, with just four points from eight rounds and no wins. There were four draws, four defeats, and plenty of doubts about the team’s direction.

Just over two months later, the outlook has changed considerably. Over the last ten rounds of the Brasileirão — a period that coincides with the arrival of the Portuguese coach — Cruzeiro ranks among the competition’s best-performing teams, with results comparable to those of the main title contenders.

According to a survey by UFMG’s Department of Mathematics, the standings over the last ten rounds are:

During this period, the team scored 16 goals and conceded 12, achieving a 66.7% points rate.

Debut win and a turnaround built round by round

Artur Jorge made his debut in the ninth round of the Brasileirão, when Cruzeiro beat Vitória 3-0 at Mineirão and earned its first win of the competition.

Since then, the campaign has been built on important wins against Vitória, Red Bull Bragantino, Grêmio, Remo, Bahia, and Chapecoense, along with draws against Palmeiras and Fluminense. The only defeats came against São Paulo and Atlético-MG.

The recent run has also drawn attention. The draw against Fluminense, in the last match before the break, extended Cruzeiro’s unbeaten streak to eight games across all competitions this season.

Progress in the cup competitions as well

The improvement was not limited to the national league. Under Artur Jorge, Cruzeiro also achieved its objectives in the knockout competitions played in the first half of the season.

In the Copa Libertadores, the team secured qualification for the round of 16 in a group featuring Boca Juniors, Universidad Católica, and Barcelona de Guayaquil. The place was confirmed after a 4-0 thrashing of the Ecuadorians at Mineirão, a result that secured second place in the group. Now the team will face Flamengo in the round of 16, with the first leg at home.

In the Copa do Brasil, the team also advanced to the round of 16 and will face Chapecoense in the next stage. The matchup was decided by draw, with Cruzeiro earning the right to play the decisive match at home.

First positive balance before the break

The interruption in the calendar comes at a time when the work is becoming firmly established. If he inherited a winless team stuck at the bottom of the Brasileirão, Artur Jorge ends the first stage of the season with Cruzeiro among the four best-performing sides over the last ten rounds, qualified for the round of 16 of both the Libertadores and the Copa do Brasil.

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