Atlético held to draw by Betim at Arena MRV in Mineiro opener | OneFootball

Atlético began its journey in the season and in the Campeonato Mineiro with a 1-1 draw against Betim on Sunday night (11), at Arena MRV, in a match valid for the first round of the state competition.

Even playing at home, Galo faced difficulties against a well-organized defensive opponent who knew how to take advantage of opportunities created on counterattacks. Atlético took the lead at the 21st minute of the first half. Reinier received the ball after a beautiful one-two with Rony, broke into the box, and finished with class to open the scoring, lifting the spirits of the fans present at the stadium.

In the second half, however, Betim came back more focused and needed just two minutes to level the score. Cuello tried to dribble in the defensive half and lost the ball. Diego Jardel got it, took advantage of a defensive lapse from the black-and-white team, and as Everson came out, gave a beautiful chip to score the equalizer, setting the final numbers of the match.

Thinking about preseason and the long sequence of competitions throughout the year, coach Jorge Sampaoli opted for a heavily rotated lineup. Atlético took the field with a mix of reserve players and very young athletes from the youth academy, prioritizing squad observation and physical conditioning at the start of the season.

Galo took the field with: Everson, Natanael, Vitão, Alonso, and Pascini; Alan Franco, Iseppe, and Reinier; Cadu, Cuello, and Rony. Also coming on during the match were midfielder Índio, defender Vitor Hugo, and forward Murillo.

Despite the pressure exerted mainly in the final minutes, Galo was unable to turn their dominance into a goal and ended up taking only one point in their State Championship debut.

Atlético returns to the field next Wednesday (14), when they face North at 7:30 pm in Montes Claros, in search of their first victory in the Campeonato Mineiro.

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