In the 15th round of the Brasileirao, Cruzeiro secured a commanding 4-0 victory against Juventude, thanks to a stellar performance from Gabriel Barbosa, who netted two goals. Under the leadership of coach José Nunes Alves Sousa Jardim, Cruzeiro displayed a dominant game plan that left their opponents struggling. Barbosa opened the scoring with a stunning goal and followed it up with a penalty strike, finding the net in the 5th and 62nd minutes respectively. Christian also contributed to the scoreboard with a goal at the 38th minute, while Eduardo sealed the game with a header just after halftime, in the 46th minute.
Kaio Jorge was awarded the Man of the Match for his outstanding display, registering three shots on goal and successfully completing two passes. He was instrumental in maintaining Cruzeiro’s offensive pressure throughout the match.
Formation and Strategy:
Cruzeiro lined up in a 4-3-3 formation, featuring Léo Aragão in goal; a defensive line made up of William, Fabrício Bruno, Lucas Villalba, and Kaiki Bruno; a midfield trio of Lucas Romero, Eduardo, and Christian; and an attacking trio consisting of Gabriel Barbosa, Marquinhos, and Kaio Jorge.
On the other end, Juventude utilized a 4-4-2 setup, with Gustavo in goal; Reginaldo, Wilker Ángel, Marcos Paulo, and Marcelo Hermes defending; Caíque Gonçalves, Hudson, Jádson, and Luis Mandaca in midfield; and Gabriel Taliari and Gilberto leading the attack.
The match at the Mineirão stadium was officiated by referee Lucas Casagrande.
Looking ahead, Cruzeiro will face Corinthians in their next match, while Juventude will take on São Paulo. Currently, Cruzeiro sits atop the league with 33 points, whereas Juventude is struggling in the 18th position with just 11 points.
Substitutions for Cruzeiro
66’ 2T – Lucas Romero for Lucas Silva, Kaio Jorge for Matheus Pereira, Christian for Wanderson, and Hudson for Emerson Batalla. 81’ 2T – Lucas Silva for Walace. 88’ 2T – Gabriel Barbosa for Yannick Bolasie.
Yellow Card for Cruzeiro:
49’ 2T – Yannick Bolasie (Unsporting behavior).
Substitutions for Juventude
45’ 2T – Gilberto for Gabriel Verón. 67’ 2T – Marcos Paulo for Abner and Gabriel Taliari for Matheus Babi. 83’ 2T – Luis Mandaca for Alan Ruschel.
Yellow Cards for Juventude:
15’ 1T – Marcos Paulo (Unsporting behavior) and 28’ 1T – Caíque Gonçalves (Unsporting behavior).