Atlético-MG still plagued by major errors under Sampaoli's leadership | OneFootball

Atlético-MG – led by coach Jorge Sampaoli – returned empty-handed from Rio de Janeiro and heightened the sense of concern about its current phase in the season. Despite controlling possession and accumulating impressive numbers, Galo ended up defeated 1-0 by Botafogo this Saturday (20th), in the 24th round of the 2025 Brasileirão.

Cards and fouls

The match was marked by strict discipline: Botafogo committed more fouls (14 to 9) and finished the game with one player less after Chris Ramos received a red card. Atlético, however, was unable to turn this numerical advantage into effective pressure in the final minutes.

Dominance without effectiveness

With 68% possession and more than double the passes (647 to 296), Atlético tried to dictate the pace of the match. There were 13 shots compared to Botafogo’s 8, but the team from Minas lacked accuracy and could not turn their superiority into clear goal-scoring chances.

The expected goals (xG) metric reflects this balance: 0.73 for Galo against 0.74 for the opponent. However, while the team from Rio created a big chance and took it, the team from Minas did not have the same precision.

Solid Botafogo defense

Even under pressure, Botafogo knew how to close ranks. There were 12 tackles against Atlético’s 9, in addition to greater intensity in defensive duels. Galo even had a better success rate in tackles (78% success), but ran up against the black-and-white team’s defensive organization.

Difficult situation

The result frustrates Atlético, which was seeking its first win under Jorge Sampaoli. With the Argentine coach, Galo has four games, with two draws and two defeats.

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