In front of their home crowd at the São Januário Stadium, Vasco da Gama outperformed Cruzeiro, claiming a 2-0 victory on the 25th matchday. Rayan Vitor opened the scoring early in the 7th minute, and Paulo Henrique secured the win with a goal in the 60th minute of the second half.
Despite Cruzeiro’s attempts, which totaled 20 shots, they could not find the back of the net, as only 10 of their shots were on target, with the other half missing the mark.
Paulo Henrique was instrumental in the match, not only for his goal but also for his defensive contributions, making him the standout player of the match. Rayan Vitor also shone, contributing with a goal and 4 attempts on goal.
The head coach of Vasco, Fernando Diniz Silva, set up his team in a 4-5-1 formation featuring Léo Jardim as the goalkeeper, supported by defenders Paulo Henrique, Carlos Cuesta, Robert Renan, and José Luis Rodríguez. The midfield included Hugo Moura, Cauan Barros, Rayan Vitor, Philippe Coutinho, and Nuno Moreira, while Pablo Vegetti led the attack.
On the other side, Cruzeiro, managed by José Nunes Alves Sousa Jardim, opted for a 4-3-3 strategy with Cássio in goal, accompanied by a defensive line of William, Fabrício Bruno, Jonathan, and Kaiki Bruno. The midfield was made up of Lucas Silva, Matheus Pereira, and Lucas Romero, with Christian, Kaio Jorge, and Wanderson up front.
The match, hosted at São Januário Stadium, was officiated by referee Rodrigo Pereira de Lima.
Looking ahead, Vasco will travel to play against Palmeiras in their next fixture, while Cruzeiro will face Flamengo. Currently, Vasco ranks 10th with 30 points, while Cruzeiro sits in the second position with 50 points.
Substitutions for Vasco da Gama
56’ 2T – Pablo Vegetti was replaced by David and Nuno Moreira by Andres Gómez 78’ 2T – Philippe Coutinho was substituted for Matheus França 91’ 2T – Carlos Cuesta was taken off for Lucas Oliveira
Yellow Cards for Vasco da Gama:
20’ 2T Cauan Barros (Unsporting behavior) and 46’ 2T Carlos Cuesta (Time-wasting)
Substitutions for Cruzeiro
45’ 2T – Wanderson was replaced by Keny Arroyo 60’ 2T – Christian was substituted for Matheus Henrique 67’ 2T – Lucas Romero went off for Marquinhos 80’ 2T – Kaiki Bruno was replaced by Yannick Bolasie and Jonathan by João Marcelo
Yellow Cards for Cruzeiro:
17’ 2T Kaiki Bruno (Unsporting behavior)