Decisive figure settles it for Zeiro on the road | OneFootball

Matheus Pereira struck in the 66th minute with a left-footed finish to the bottom left, giving Cruzeiro a 1-0 win over Coritiba.

Pereira signalled his threat early, forcing Pedro Morisco into a low save from the centre of the box (7.). He kept finding pockets between the lines as Coxa sat narrow.

His craft then opened two clear looks before the breakthrough: a slipped pass sent Keny Arroyo in to test the goalkeeper (45.), and another delivery teed up Felipe Morais who fired over from close range (56.). The deciding moment followed, Pereira arriving centrally to guide his shot into the corner (66.).

The playmaker stayed busy after the restart, drifting between midfield and attack to link moves for Zeiro and draw fouls that broke up Coxa-Branca's momentum. He also went close late on from a fast break (88.).

He finished with five attempts, two on target, three key passes and eight touches in the box, numbers that underlined how Raposa's No 10 controlled the dangerous zones and repeatedly forced Coritiba's back line to collapse towards their own goal.

Cruzeiro rise from 13th to 7th in the Brasileirão standings. Zeiro visit Chapecoense in the Copa do Brasil next, while Coxa host Chapecoense in the league.