Cruzeiro struggle but grab late draw against Mirassol in Brasileiro | OneFootball

Cruzeiro played poorly again and, once more, missed the chance to secure their first victory in the Brazilian Championship. On the night of this Wednesday (11), at Maião, the celestial team took the lead, suffered a comeback from Mirassol, and managed a 2-2 draw in the third round of Serie A.

Wanderson opened the scoring for Raposa, Kaio Jorge converted a penalty in the final stage, while Nathan Fogaça and Negueba scored for the home team in a game marked by defensive errors and a drop in performance throughout the match.

MATCH SUMMARY

From the first minutes, Mirassol launched into the attack. As early as the 4th minute, Cássio began to stand out by making a great save on Alesson's shot. Shortly after, the goalkeeper appeared again in a dangerous shot, and at 7 minutes, he starred in the most impressive play of the stage: after a rebound inside the area, Nathan Fogaça shot hard, Cássio performed a real miracle, the ball still hit the crossbar and bounced on the line, generating complaints from the home players, but correctly interpreted by the refereeing.

The pressure remained intense, with Mirassol accumulating shots (4 to 0 in the first 17 minutes) and keeping Cruzeiro cornered. The celestial team found difficulties in ball exit and relied on isolated counterattack attempts.

Gradually, however, Cruzeiro managed to reorganize their lines and balance possession. And they were efficient in their first great opportunity. At 24 minutes, Lucas Romero drove through the center and played Wanderson on the left. The forward invaded the area and shot firmly with his right to open the scoring: 1-0.

The goal changed the scenario of the match. Cruzeiro grew, began to occupy more of the offensive field, and almost extended the lead at 29, when Kaio Jorge shot hard from the edge of the area, demanding a great save from Walter. Mirassol, in turn, felt the momentary impact but returned to press in the final stretch.

At 39 minutes, Igor Formiga lifted the ball into the area, and Eduardo headed dangerously, stopped by another great save from Cássio. Shortly after, at 41, the equalizer came: after a rebound in the small area, Nathan Fogaça shot hard. Cássio still touched the ball, but after a VAR review, the goal was confirmed: 1-1.

Right after the break, Cruzeiro made changes, bringing in Luis Sinisterra and Matheus Henrique. Still, it was Mirassol who returned more aggressively. At 9 minutes, after a ball was lofted into the area and a partial clearance by the defense, Negueba struck first-time from outside, hitting Cássio's corner to turn the game: 2-1.

The celestial team tried to react but remained defensively vulnerable. Cássio had to intervene again at 23, preventing the third goal in a one-on-one finish by José Aldo. Mirassol even extended the lead at 30, with Galeano completing a cross from Carlos Eduardo, but the play was annulled for offside after a VAR review.

Cruzeiro almost equalized at 36, when Sinisterra headed on and Christian Roberto finished in the small area, forcing Walter to make a face save. The pressure increased, and at 39, the referee awarded a penalty to Raposa after Igor Cariús touched Matheus Pereira. After reviewing the play on the monitor, the penalty was confirmed. Kaio Jorge took responsibility and, at 41, shot low to the right corner to level the score: 2-2.

In the final minutes, the game took on dramatic contours. Yuri Lara made a hard tackle on Kenji, initially receiving a yellow card, but after a VAR call, the card was changed to a direct red. The atmosphere became tense, with discussions and medical attention, and the young forward left the field crying after a collision at the end of the match.

CRUZEIRO'S SCHEDULE AND SITUATION

The result secured Cruzeiro their first point in the competition, momentarily lifting the team from the last position to 19th, ahead of only Corinthians, who still have to play in the round. Meanwhile, Mirassol reached five points and occupies third place, tied with Chapecoense but behind on goal difference, while Bragantino leads with six.

After the commitment in the Brasileirão, Tite's team shifts focus to the Campeonato Mineiro and concludes the group stage on Saturday (14), at 19h, against URT, at Zama Maciel, in Patos de Minas.

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