Jonathan Jesus scores, shines and says: “Secure qualification at home” | OneFootball

The 2-2 draw between Cruzeiro and Goiás at Serra Dourada had Jonathan Jesus as one of the standout names of the match. In addition to finding the net in the second half, the center back delivered a dominant defensive performance and was a key figure in giving the team a temporary lead in the contest.

Scorer of Cruzeiro’s second goal, after a good passing move with Bruno Rodrigues, the defender celebrated the special moment he is experiencing in Cruzeiro’s shirt and looked ahead to the return leg in a statement to GETV.

“Very happy for the goal. My first professional goal for Cruzeiro was here at Serra Dourada, and scoring my second here is very special to me. It’s a 180-minute tie, now it’s time to work and rest so we can go for qualification at home.”

On the field, Jonathan Jesus did not contribute only in attack. According to Sofascore data, the center back led the match’s defensive actions, totaling 12 overall. He was the player with the most clearances (9), also recorded one blocked shot, and finished second in tackles, with two.

With the ball at his feet, he also showed confidence in build-up play. He completed 52 passes out of 54 attempts, a 96% success rate. In individual duels, he won six of the seven he contested, reinforcing his consistency throughout the 90 minutes.

Cruzeiro leave with the feeling that they could have taken a bigger advantage back to Belo Horizonte, but they remain in control of the tie with the second leg at home. Now, the focus shifts to the Brazilian Championship. On Saturday (25), at 6:30 p.m. (Brasília time), the team will face Remo at Baenão, in Belém, in the 13th round of Série A.

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