Jardim hails Cruzeiro win, says tie with Atlético-MG wide open | OneFootball

Cruzeiro defeated Atlético-MG last Wednesday, 2-0, at Arena MRV, taking a big step in the fight for a spot in the Copa do Brasil semifinals. Leonardo Jardim, the coach of Raposa, analyzed the victory but believes the match is still open.

“It was a good classic. A more balanced first half between the two teams, both seeking goals. In the second half, I believe Cruzeiro improved and managed to take the lead. Then there was a final reaction from Atlético-MG. We have the advantage, but things will only be decided at home,” said the coach in a press conference after the game.

After a goalless first half, Cruzeiro opened the scoring with a stunning goal by defender Fabrício Bruno and extended the lead with Kaio Jorge, following a corner kick. Jardim spoke about the goals.

“I congratulated Fabrício (Bruno) for the goal. I didn't teach that, it was his individual talent to hit that shot. Regarding the second goal from the corner, we have a great proportion in set pieces. Cruzeiro had a lot of difficulty with set pieces. Nowadays, it is more competent, both offensively and defensively, due to the work developed by the technical staff, but mainly by the players,” he said.

The return match against Atlético-MG is scheduled for September 11th, at Mineirão, at 7:30 PM (Brasília time). Before that, however, Cruzeiro faces São Paulo, also at home, this Saturday, for the Brazilian Championship. Jardim highlighted that the team adopts the same approach in all games, whether at home or away.

“First of all, the next game is on Saturday against São Paulo. We have to rest the team because there are only two days of recovery. We have a way of playing that both the players and the coach believe in. We do not abandon this approach, these behaviors, regardless of whether we play against Atlético-MG, Fluminense, or Botafogo. We believe in our way of playing, and that's why we have this approach that we presented here. I will hardly abandon our principles out of fear or not of our opponent,” highlighted the coach.

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