Galo players celebrate the go-ahead goal against their rival at Arena MRVCredits: Pedro Souza / Atlético-MG
In an exciting match, featuring a comeback in the closing minutes, Atlético-MG eliminated its biggest rival, Cruzeiro, and advanced to the Copa do Brasil semifinal. Galo’s 2-1 victory, on Tuesday night (the 1st), drew more than 42,000 fans to Arena MRV — a 2026 attendance record — with only 2,500 tickets made available to Raposa supporters.
Cruzeiro took the lead in the first half with a beautiful goal by Kaio Jorge in the 29th minute. The game was wide open, with chances for both sides and plenty of intensity. Even while trailing, Atlético stayed focused and was not intimidated by the pressure of being behind.
In the second half, the comeback began to take shape in the 32nd minute with a goal by Victor Hugo, following a well-worked attacking move by Galo and a quick finish from the Atlético midfielder, who reacted faster than the Cruzeiro defense.
Atlético’s fans made Arena MRV shake, sensing the real possibility of a win in regular time, without the need for a penalty shootout to decide the spot.
Before the equalizer, Cruzeiro’s Villalba had been sent off after receiving his second yellow card.
The 2-1 scoreline was sealed with another stylish goal, a left-footed strike by Fred in the 43rd minute — his first wearing the club’s jersey. The ball curled and kept goalkeeper Otávio, who stood out in the derby by preventing other goals, from making the save.
This Wednesday (2), Vasco and Palmeiras will take the field looking to confirm the advantage they built at home. This time, the challenge will be away from their own stadiums. After a 1-0 win, Cruzmaltino visits Vitória at Barradão, in Salvador. At Vila Belmiro, in Santos, Alviverde, leading 3-0, faces Santos. Both matches will kick off at 9:30 p.m. (Brasília time) and will be available on TV Globo, SporTV, Premiere, and Amazon.
On Thursday (3), the Grêmio Arena, in Porto Alegre, hosts Grêmio vs. Internacional at 8 p.m. (Brasília time). Amazon will broadcast the Rio Grande do Sul derby. The Gre-Nal pair did not move the scoreboard at Beira-Rio.
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.