Flat Cruzeiro held by Chapecoense in Copa do Brasil last-16 opener | OneFootball

Lacking inspiration, Cruzeiro were held to a 0-0 draw by Chapecoense this Sunday (2) at Arena Condá, in Chapecó, in the first leg of the Copa do Brasil round of 16. In a match with few chances for either side, the Belo Horizonte team had more possession but struggled to turn control of the game into clear scoring opportunities.

Artur Jorge made three changes to the starting lineup compared to the team that beat Coritiba in the Brazilian Championship. Fagner, Lucas Villalba, and Kaique Kenji started in place of William, Gabriel Rojas, and Felipe Morais, respectively.

MATCH SUMMARY

Cruzeiro began by trying to push forward and created a good chance as early as the third minute. Keny Arroyo received a pass from Gerson inside the box and got off a dangerous shot, but the ball went just wide of Anderson’s goal.

In the 12th minute, the Belo Horizonte side did find the net. After a corner kick, Fabrício Bruno flicked a header on and Kaique Kenji finished it into the goal. However, the play was reviewed by VAR and ruled out for offside against the Cruzeiro forward.

Chapecoense, in turn, tried to exploit the spaces left by Cruzeiro and had their best chance early in the second half. In the sixth minute, Giovanni Augusto tried a long-range shot and attempted to lob Otávio. The ball went very close to the post.

Cruzeiro threatened again in the 18th minute, when Lucas Romero took advantage of a loose ball near the edge of the box and shot toward the corner. The ball went close to Anderson’s top-left corner.

Late on, the Belo Horizonte side had their best chance to go ahead. In the 38th minute, Felipe Morais crossed from the left and Keny Arroyo appeared inside the box to slide in a shot. Goalkeeper Anderson managed to make the save and prevented the Minas Gerais team from scoring.

Despite controlling possession for much of the match, Cruzeiro ended the game unable to impose their attacking rhythm and forced the opposing goalkeeper into action only a few times. At the other end, Chapecoense also created little and failed to make the most of the opportunities they had.

HOW IT STANDS

With the scoreless draw, the tie remains wide open. The place in the quarterfinals will be decided next Wednesday (5) at 7 p.m. Brasília time at Mineirão in Belo Horizonte. Another draw will send the contest straight to penalties.

Whoever advances to the quarterfinals will also secure a prize of R$ 4 million for qualifying for the next stage of the Copa do Brasil.

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