Atlético-MG beats Cruzeiro for the first time at Arena MRV

Atlético-MG and Cruzeiro played this Saturday (20) at Arena MRV, at 9 pm, another classic for the third round of the Brasileirão. The game was only the stage for the fervent Atletic fans, who watched the match end with a score of 3×1 for Galo.

Atlético entered the field still looking for their first victory in the Brazilian Championship, and easily achieved not only the feat of winning at home, but also obliterating their opponents in the first half. Even though Galo got the better of Raposa recently, winning the state title with a 3-1 victory, the home triumph had not yet happened at Arena MRV.

_{Galo's victory was the first against Cruzeiro at Arena MRV (photo: reproduction/Instagram/@atletico)}

Cruzeiro showed loose marking, too much freedom for the opponent to play and an inoffensive attack. Furthermore, Seabra's insistence on names like Ramiro, Lucas Silva and Neris fueled the feeling of frustration that Raposa fans have been experiencing in recent matches.

First time

The beginning of the match seemed to be balanced, until Galo began to dominate the opponent and felt comfortable on the field. The first chance of danger came in the 13th minute, when Guilherme Arana shot towards the goal, but goalkeeper Anderson made a partial save, and the defense ended up clearing the ball for a corner.

At 24, Zaracho scored a spectacular goal and opened the scoring for Galo. The play started with Scarpa making a precise cross into the area. Zaracho, with skill and dexterity, finished with half a bicycle kick, when the ball hit the post, but stopped in the back of the goal, driving the Atlético fans crazy. Then, Matheus Pereira tried a strong shot and tried a reaction for Raposa, however, Everson saved it. 10 minutes later, it was Paulinho's turn to score another for Atlético-MG. The play started with Arana, who made a beautiful pass to Hulk. The number 7 did not hesitate and finished strongly towards the goal. Paulinho appeared opportunely and completed the finish, in a move that reinforced the team's efficiency and chemistry on the field.

Cruzeiro had a new opportunity in the 43rd minute, when Rafael Silva finished, but Saravia managed to deflect it wide. Atlético took advantage of the five-minute extra time in the first half and remained strong, thus securing the third goal. Guilherme Arana increased the score in a move that started with the number 13 receiving the ball from outside the area and demonstrating his technical quality by finishing with great strength. Goalkeeper Anderson did his best to save, but the ball ended up passing through his hands and ending up in the back of the net.

Additional stage reinforces Cruzeiro’s problems

Raposa entered the field in the second half with the replacement of Arthur Gomes by Barreal, and the exchange of Machado for Zé Ivaldo, in an attempt to react against Galo's standout. In the 14th minute of the second half, Zé Ivaldo, from Cruzeiro, tries to finish, but the shot ends up going wrong, without putting Atlético-MG's goal in danger. At 16 minutes, Seabra's movement resulted in Neris leaving and Gabriel Veron entering.

Atlético remained comfortable in the match, investing in the exchange of passes to maintain the result until the end of the game, while Cruzeiro remained tired and with low performance. At 31, it was Lucas Silva's turn to leave the field and make room for Mateus Vital to enter.

When the score reached 35, Veron made a pass to Rafael Elias inside the area. The number 19 tried to finish, but the ball ended up hitting Lemos, resulting in a corner for the team. After the corner was taken into the area, Zé Ivaldo went up to head it and put the ball into the middle of the area, where Rafael Elias managed to finish and score the goal. However, the referee signaled the attacker was offside, invalidating the goal and frustrating the Cruzeiro team.

At 44, A Raposa created a good offensive play. Barreal received the ball inside the area and tried to finish, however, the shot was weak. Everson, Atlético-MG's goalkeeper, made a calm save, holding off the shot and avoiding any danger to Galo's goal. In the 47th minute of the second half, William, from Cruzeiro, tried to finish, but the shot went wrong. The referee whistled the game at 48 and ended the match in which Galo dominated and had a deserved victory over their traditional rival from Minas Gerais.

Featured photo: Galo shirt representing the expectation for their first home victory over their main rival (Reproduction/Instagram/@atletico)