Cruzeiro beat Chapecoense 2-0 at the Mineirão stadium on Wednesday, August 5, to advance to the Copa do Brasil quarter-finals after a goalless first leg. The result at the Mineirão followed a 0-0 draw at the Arena Condá in Chapecó, Santa Catarina. The victory extended Cruzeiro's six-year unbeaten streak against Chapecoense to five matches, with three wins and two draws since their last defeat in Serie B in 2020.
Cruzeiro, who hold a record six Copa do Brasil titles, controlled the opening stages of the match without creating clear scoring opportunities. Tensions rose when Chapecoense defensive midfielder Camilo received a yellow card for a hard foul on Gerson at the edge of the penalty area. Cruzeiro broke the deadlock 46 minutes into the first half when midfielder Matheus Henrique needed two header attempts to score.
Matheus Henrique suffered a kick to the head during the scoring play and celebrated with a bleeding face before medical staff diagnosed him with a fractured nose. Shortly after the goal, Chapecoense midfielder Max was sent off following a video assistant referee intervention for a foul on Gabriel Rojas.
Second half and injuries
Cruzeiro continued to press with a one-player advantage in the second half. Forward Kaio Jorge had an early goal disallowed for offside and later struck the post before earning and converting a penalty to break his goal drought. Chapecoense forward Bruno Tubarão also suffered an injury following a counter-attack led by the team from Santa Catarina.
Upcoming matches and draw
The Brazilian Football Confederation will hold the draw for the Copa do Brasil quarter-finals on Tuesday, August 11. Before the draw, Cruzeiro will play Mirassol in interior São Paulo on Sunday, August 9, at 11:00 a.m. as they aim to move closer to the top four of the Campeonato Brasileiro.
Chapecoense remain at the bottom of the Campeonato Brasileiro standings with 10 points. They will visit Coritiba on Saturday, August 8, at 8:30 p.m. in their effort to avoid relegation to Serie B.
