Cruzeiro, under the guidance of Portuguese coach Leonardo Jardim, made a significant move in the Brazilian championship this past Saturday. They welcomed São Paulo to their home turf and delivered a solid 1-0 victory. This win, part of the 22nd round, pushed them into second place in the league table, at least for now. It’s an exciting time for the club as they continue their climb.
The only goal of the match came from midfielder Matheus Pereira. He found the back of the net in the 64th minute at Mineirão Stadium in Belo Horizonte. Pereira has an interesting background; he developed his skills at Sporting and played for their senior team, as well as for Desportivo de Chaves. His crucial strike secured all three points for Cruzeiro.
This marks Cruzeiro’s second straight victory in the competition, bringing their total to 44 points from 22 games. They now sit just two points behind current leaders Flamengo, who have played 20 matches and are set to host Grêmio later today. Sitting just below Cruzeiro in third place is Palmeiras, coached by another Portuguese tactician, Abel Ferreira. Palmeiras has 42 points from 19 games and will face Corinthians in the São Paulo derby later today, making the top of the table incredibly tight.