A penalty goal in stoppage time, much contested by Athletic, decreed Atlético-MG’s 1-0 victory in the game that opened the seventh round of the Campeonato Mineiro. This Tuesday’s match (15), at Mineirão, in Belo Horizonte, was the last for Galo before deciding the Brazilian Supercup against Flamengo, at 4 pm (Brasilia time) this Sunday, at Arena Pantanal, in Cuiabá.
??⚫⚪ GAME OVER! IN MINEIRÃO, THE ATLÉTICO WINS THE ATHLETIC 1-0 AND ADDED THREE MORE POINTS IN THE MINEIRO CHAMPIONSHIP!
⚽️ Hulk scored for Alvinegro.#VamoRooster #CAMxATH ??️ pic.twitter.com/MkfOsAXtT7
— Atletico ? (@Atletico) February 16, 2022
Atlético went to 16 points and provisionally assumed the leadership of Estado, one point ahead of rival Cruzeiro, which receives Uberlândia on Thursday (17), at 20h, at Independência, also in Belo Horizonte. Athletic remains with 13 points, in third position, but can be overtaken by Caldense and América-MG, who face Villa Nova and Patrocinense, respectively, this Wednesday (16).
Thinking about the duel against Flamengo, Turkish coach Mohammed sent Galo to the field with a mixed team. In the first half, the home team was dominant, but they didn’t hit the target. Midfielder Caleb, in stoppage time, sent the ball to the crossbar with a header. Athletic’s main offensive reference, experienced striker Ricardo Oliveira, a former Atlético player, had little chance of finishing.
In the final stage, midfielder Nacho Fernández and forwards Ademir, Jefferson Savarino and Hulk added volume to the hosts. The visitors held the Atletica pressure in every way, but a penalty scored in the 46th minute, by defender Sidimar in a ball dispute with Ademir, was fatal. Amidst a lot of complaints from Athletic, Hulk went for the kick and scored the winning goal for Galo.
Athletic returns to the field on Saturday (19), at the Joaquim Portugal stadium, in São João del-Rei (MG), against Democrata, at 3 pm. Atlético’s next game for Mineiro will only be on Saturday of the next week (26), at 4:30 pm, against Pouso Alegre, at Manduzão, in Pouso Alegre (MG).
