Pereira stars as Cruzeiro crush Barcelona, through from group of death | OneFootball

Cruzeiro are back in the Copa Libertadores round of 16. In a dominant display at Mineirão, the team coached by Artur Jorge thrashed Barcelona de Guayaquil 4-0 on Wednesday night and secured qualification for the knockout stage of the continental competition.

The goals were scored by Matheus Pereira (twice), Christian and Sinisterra. The result ended a seven-year spell without the club playing in the Libertadores knockout rounds.

MATCH SUMMARY

The Minas Gerais side all but set the tone of the match in the opening minutes. Just four minutes in, Fabrício Bruno started the move in his own half, Fagner pushed forward down the right and found Matheus Pereira unmarked in the box. The No. 10 headed home with no chance for Contreras and opened the scoring at Mineirão.

Even after the goal, Cruzeiro kept an aggressive approach, pressing Barcelona’s build-up and controlling possession in the attacking half. The team created other chances before the break, mainly through moves built down the flanks and the attacking interplay between Kaio Jorge, Sinisterra and Matheus Pereira.

Barcelona struggled to keep possession and were barely able to turn their attacks into clear chances during the first half.

Cruzeiro rampant in the second half

In the second half, Cruzeiro quickly extended their lead and all but sealed qualification. Six minutes in, Romero found Matheus Pereira, who nodded the ball into Christian’s path for a firm finish and Cruzeiro’s second goal.

Shortly after, in the 10th minute, Kaio Jorge made an individual run down the right and found Sinisterra free in the box to score the third. With a commanding lead, the team took even greater control of the match and regularly found space against an opponent already in defensive disarray.

The fourth goal came in the 26th minute in one of the finest moves of the match. Villalba won the ball back in his own half, burst forward down the left and delivered a pinpoint cross for Matheus Pereira, who struck it first time on the volley to score his second of the game and complete the rout.

Beyond the scoreline they had built, Cruzeiro still created chances to add more in the closing minutes. Arroyo wasted a clear opportunity inside the six-yard box, while Bruno Rodrigues forced Contreras into a fine save with a long-range effort.

CRUZEIRO’S SCHEDULE

After sealing their place in the Libertadores round of 16, Cruzeiro now turn their focus back to the Brazilian Championship. Before the calendar break for the World Cup, the team face Fluminense on Sunday (31) at 8:30 p.m. at Mineirão, in a match valid for the 18th round of the competition.

In the Libertadores, the club now await the official confirmation of the knockout schedule. Conmebol is working with the provisional dates of August 12 for the first-leg matches and August 19 for the second legs of the round of 16.

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