Dreaming of a third continental championship after winning the title in 1976 and 1997, the Cruise debuted on Libertadores winning the Barcelona1-0, at the Monumental stadium, in Guayaquil, Ecuador. THE midfielder Matheus Pereira scored the only goal of the match, on Tuesday night (7), in the first round of the group stage.
With the result, the visitors start with three points in Group D, while the hosts start with zero points — the bracket also includes , teams that face each other in this . It is worth remembering that the Libertadores regulations have remained the same since 2023.
In other words, the two best teams will advance to the knockout stages, with the final being played in a single game. In addition, the third-placed teams in the group advance to the playoffs for the round of 16. Only the flashlight is left without a calendar.
The game
The first half had just one important play. In the 18th minute, Chrsitian made a beautiful individual play and finished strongly, but the shot went in the middle of the goal, making it easier for goalkeeper José Contreras to save. In the final stage, Raposa scored the winning goal with a beautiful header from Matheus Pereira.
In the seventh minute, the midfielder took advantage of a great cross from Fagner, from the right midfield, and tested without any chance of defense. At 46, amidst an attempt to stifle the home team, Chico da Costa, free in the small area, managed to miss a crystal clear chance after a low cross from Wanderson.
Upcoming games
The second round of Group D takes place in the middle of next week. At 9pm on Tuesday (14), Barcelona will go to Buenos Aires, Argentina, to face Boca Juniors, at La Bombonera. Cruzeiro will host Universidad Católica, at Mineirão, in Belo Horizonte (MG), starting at 7pm on Wednesday (15).
Before, on Sunday (12), Raposa faces Red Bull Bragantino, at home, at 6:30 pm, in the 11th round of the , in which it is in penultimate place, with seven points. The Canaries, on the other hand, will be home against Leones, at 9pm on Friday (10), in the eighth round of the first phase of the Ecuadorian, in which they are in the G6.
