Cruzeiro grab heroic draw at La Bombonera with 10 men, near last 16 | OneFootball

Cruzeiro once again showed how competitive they can be away from home and earned an important result on Tuesday night, drawing 1-1 with Boca Juniors at La Bombonera in the fifth round of Group D of the Copa Libertadores. The team from Belo Horizonte fell behind, found the strength to respond in the second half, and still withstood Argentine pressure after going down to 10 men in the closing stages. The result leaves Raposa very close to qualifying for the round of 16 and at the top of the group.

MATCH SUMMARY

Driven by the traditional atmosphere of La Bombonera and under pressure to get a result, Boca Juniors started the match trying to speed up the game and occupy attacking areas.

Cruzeiro struggled to control possession in the opening minutes and had to withstand periods of pressure from the Argentine side. The team in blue looked to break quickly and searched for space on the counterattack, but had trouble putting together their attacking transitions.

The home side’s persistence paid off before halftime. Boca managed to turn their attacking pressure into a lead and went into the break in a more comfortable position in front of their home crowd.

After the interval, Cruzeiro came out with a different approach. More aggressive and organized, the team became more competitive in midfield and found spaces to grow into the match.

The reward came through Fagner. The right-back arrived well to score and found the net for the first time in a Cruzeiro shirt, putting Raposa back in the fight for a result. The goal changed the complexion of the match and boosted the Brazilian side’s confidence.

Shortly after the equalizer, the script became even more complicated for the team from Minas Gerais. Gerson was shown a red card and left Cruzeiro with 10 men for the final stretch of the contest. From that point on, Boca increased the pressure, relying mainly on crosses and high balls into the box.

Even with a numerical disadvantage, Cruzeiro managed to reorganize defensively and showed maturity to hold on to the result in one of the toughest environments in South American football.

Group situation

The draw in Buenos Aires leaves Cruzeiro in a comfortable position in Group D. The team goes into the final round depending only on themselves to secure a place in the round of 16 and remains top of the group.

Next match

Cruzeiro now turns its attention to the Brazilian Championship. The team returns to Belo Horizonte to face Chapecoense at Mineirão at 4 p.m. next Sunday (24), before deciding its Libertadores fate in the final round of the group stage.

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