At Mineirão, Cruzeiro came from behind to beat Flamengo 2-1 this Saturday (22), in a match valid for round 24 of the 2026 Brasileirão.
This was the third meeting in 10 days between the Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro sides (the first two were in the Libertadores, where the Rubro-Negro secured qualification for the quarterfinals).
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In fact, before kickoff, the Flamengo fans in attendance at Mineirão made a point of taunting the hosts with chants of “eliminated.”
And once the ball was rolling, the Rio Rubro-Negro started better once again.
So much so that the “golden duo” of Arrascaeta and Pedro delivered yet again, with the No. 9 scoring his 15th goal in the Brasileirão to stand alone as the league’s top scorer.
Pedro’s strong first-half display, which included a backheel pass and an attempted nutmeg on an opponent, led the Nação to “declare” that he will be Brazil’s No. 9 in the run-up to the 2030 World Cup.
But after the break, Cruzeiro regained their balance and started causing problems for the Rio side’s defense.
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And, just like in the first Libertadores match, Arroyo scored a stunner after sending Samuel Lino to the ground and rifling it into the top corner past Rossi.
In the closing stages, with both teams heavily changed and worn down by the season’s grueling schedule, each side had chances to score a second goal.
And it was Cruzeiro’s fans who got the happy ending, as they saw Matheus Pereira score with the last play of the game in a scrappy goal.
Flamengo’s last defeat in the 2026 Brasileirão had been on May 23, when they lost 3-0 to Palmeiras at the Maracanã in round 17.
🚦 Standings
With the result, Flamengo stayed in second place with 45 points and, even with a game in hand, could now see leaders Palmeiras open up a six-point gap again at the top.
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Cruzeiro, meanwhile, remained in fifth place, now with 39 points, and still close behind Fluminense (41 points), who currently occupy the top four.
Raposa return to action next Tuesday (25), when they face Atlético-MG in the derby at Mineirão in the first leg of the Copa do Brasil quarterfinals.
Rubro-Negro, meanwhile, will rest during the week before facing Botafogo at the Maracanã next Sunday (30), in round 25 of the Brasileirão.
In that same round, Cruzeiro visit Vasco at São Januário on Saturday (29).
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.
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