Cruzeiro beat São Paulo 1-0 and advanced on penalties.
In a thrilling match, one of the best of the South American season so far, Cruzeiro won 1-0 in regulation time, relied on saves from Fábio in the penalty shootout, and eliminated São Paulo from the Libertadores Cup, advancing to the quarterfinals.
Futnet Electrifying, dramatic, thrilling, agonizing... words fail to describe Wednesday's Brazilian classic at Mineirão. All the ingredients were there – and they were used. In a thrilling match, one of the best of the South American season so far, Cruzeiro won 1-0 in regulation time, relied on saves from Fábio in the penalty shootout, and eliminated São Paulo from the Libertadores, advancing to the quarterfinals.
In the next stage of the competition, Cruzeiro will face either Boca Juniors or River Plate.
O JOGO
The fans knew they would be breathless at various points during the game, but they certainly didn't imagine how many times they would be. The match was hectic from the opening minutes. Rafael Toloi cleared the ball in the third minute, Bruno cleared it a minute later. Arrascaeta took a well-placed shot in the fifth minute, Willians tried his luck from outside the box in the seventh minute, Michel Bastos forced Fábio into a great save in the tenth minute... phew! If it was difficult for you to read, imagine how it was for those watching the game in the stadium.
The match was literally back and forth. With great intensity, both teams worked in all areas. Cruzeiro frequently involved Mayke and relied on De Arrascaeta having a good night, while Michel Bastos always had the ball when São Paulo was on the attack.
The first half was dominated by Cruzeiro, who applied pressure, always through Reinaldo's side. Willian had three dangerous chances, forcing Rogério Ceni to make saves in the 42nd minute.
After much pressure, Cruzeiro finally found the winning goal in the ninth minute. In a great passing sequence, Willian passed to Mayke, who found Leandro Damião inside the box. And there it was, a goal. 1-0.
Milton Cruz needed to make changes to his team. He brought Luis Fabiano and Centurión into the game, which gave the team more attacking impetus. In the 28th minute, Bruno crossed the ball to Fabuloso, who sent it wide. The match took on a dramatic air in the final minutes. Both sides had chances to score and seal the game, but the match went to penalties.
The penalty shootout mirrored the style of the game. Electrifying. Damião and Manoel missed for Cruzeiro, while Luis Fabiano and Souza missed for Fluminense. In the alternating kicks, Lucão shot very poorly, Fábio made another save, and Gabriel Xavier sent the Mineirão stadium into raptures. Cruzeiro, dramatically, is in the quarterfinals.