Clash between Internacional and Cruzeiro ends in a goalless draw at Beira-Rio

The clash between Internacional and Cruzeiro ended the schedule of matches for the Brazilian Championship this Saturday (01). The game valid for the thirteenth round within Beira-Rio had a high number of opportunities for both teams, but was very marked by the lack of aim in the finals, resulting in a scoreless score for Cruzeirenses and Colorados. The team commanded by Mano Menezes lost the opportunity to remain at the forefront of the table, despite Aranguiz’s re-debut for the club from Rio Grande do Sul. Raposa, on the other hand, had news in the starting lineup, Pepa decided to bet on speed and entered the match without a professional striker.

First time

The first ten minutes of the confrontation at Beira-Rio were a lot of study and respect for both teams, without threatening the goalkeepers. A few seconds later, in a back pass in defense, John failed badly and ended up slipping at the time of dominance, leaving Wesley with the free goal. The striker from Cruzeiro took a while to make a decision and opted for the dribble, being disarmed at the last second by defender Vitão. The pressure from the visitors did not lose intensity and another clear chance was wasted, Stênio took advantage of the failure of Internacional’s defense and managed to conclude on the penalty mark, but ended up going close to the crossbar

Still during the first stage, Mateus Vital and Jussa also caused danger in Cruzeiro’s attack, mainly in long-distance finishes. Unable to react to the opponent’s pressure, Inter lost their best midfielder in the 17th minute, Alan Patrick. The point guard from Colorado left due to a ball in the eye, giving way to Jean Dias. Wesley again bothered goalkeeper John with a cross kick in the next play, forcing a defense with his feet. The only opportunity for the home team was only in stoppage time, Luiz Adriano received a cross and headed it wide.

Second time

The break ended with changes in the team of Mano Menezes, who decided to put De Pena in place of Johnny, trying to dominate the midfield. Still in the second stage, the Colorado coach replaced Luiz Adriano with Alemão and promoted the re-debut of the Chilean Aranguiz with the Internacional shirt after eight years. Balance prevailed in the confrontation in the following minutes, but the striker coming from the bench definitely changed the course of the match.

In the fierce dispute between Alemão and Lucas Oliveira, the home striker got the better of the tackle and ended up knocked down close to the penalty area, which resulted in a penalty scored in the first moment. VAR interfered in the decision and annulled the penalty, signaling a foul and expelling the Cruzeiro defender for the second yellow card. The advantage decided the script of the match from then on, leaving Inter in control of the game and making Cruzeiro retreat completely. The pressure from the home team was basically in touches around the goal, without being able to enter the opponent’s well-placed defensive system. Alemão and Aranguiz had clear chances in stoppage time and the two wrong conclusions left the score exactly as it started.

The goalless draw in Rio Grande do Sul complicated the situation of the two in the Brazilian Championship table in different ways. Inter ended up falling to seventh place, and could be overtaken during the round, with 21 points. Cruzeiro, on the other hand, remains in twelfth place, adding up to 18. The Brasileirão calendar is back on the agenda next weekend, on Saturday (08), Raposa faces Vasco in Rio de Janeiro, at 18:30. Meanwhile, Colorado visits Fluminense the next day, at 4 pm.

Featured Photo: Internacional and Cruzeiro players during the match. Playback/Twitter