🎥 Tension, stunner and fightback: what happened in Cruzeiro v Atlético

🎥 Tension, stunner and fightback: what happened in Cruzeiro v Atlético The first Cruzeiro vs. Atlético clash in the quarterfinals of the 2026 Copa do Brasil ended without a winner at Mineirão. Arroyo — with a stunning goal — and Renan Lodi scored in Tuesday night’s (25) 1-1 draw. The first half featured little football and a tense moment involving Atlético’s Ruan. The second half, meanwhile, delivered more excitement in front of 59,225 fans. Ruan causes concern The most eye-catching moment of the first half was Ruan’s nasty fall. After being hit by Kaio Jorge, the Atlético defender received treatment but had to leave the match in the 18th minute. Atlético started better, moving the ball more effectively. The standout performers were the tireless Fred and Bernard. Cruzeiro, in turn, took time to make home advantage count. For example, they struggled to create through the middle. And Kaio Jorge lacked precision on what could have been the best chance. There were only 26 minutes of actual play in the first half. That helped explain the goalless score before the break. Cruzeiro on the attack and a stunning goal The solid marking by Galo did not hold up. Cruzeiro made the most of it. They began to control the action and pin their rivals back. And the extra space paid off when Arroyo received the ball from Matheus Pereira and scored a stunning goal (60'). Another beautiful goal from the No. 99 at the Gigante da Pampulha. Action brings... reaction! After failing to threaten at all since the restart, Atlético managed to respond 10 minutes later. Fagner and Fabrício Bruno got their wires crossed, allowing Lodi to take Cuello’s pass and beat Otávio (70'). The final minutes saw Raposa spending more time in the opposition half. But without creating any real scoring chances. Another collision, this time between Everson and Bruno Rodrigues, marked the final minute. Everything remains open for the second leg. What now❓ The return leg will be next Tuesday, September 1. It will take place at Arena MRV, with Atlético as the home side. Another draw would send the tie to penalties. Whoever advances will secure prize money of R$ 9 million. And will face Grêmio or Internacional in the semifinals. Featured photo: Pedro Souza / Atlético This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.