Atlético-MG vs Cruzeiro Prediction: The eternal rivals meet once again

The matches scheduled for this round include several classics, and the Clássico Mineiro is one of them. The Rooster and the Fox have met 390 times. Atlético has the upper hand with 154 wins to Cruzeiro's 130. The matches have ended in a draw 106 times, and the last tie was this year at the Arena MRV in the first leg of the Campeonato Mineiro final. The game ended 2-2 on Gabriel Milito's debut as the Rooster's coach. Atlético won the second leg 3-1 away and lifted the trophy. Curiously, Cruzeiro has never lost in its rival's new stadium. In the three clashes played at the Arena, apart from the draw in the last game, Cruzeiro has won two.

After the draw with Corinthians, in a game in which Atlético played with ten players for the entire second half, everything was in place for a quiet victory against newly promoted Criciúma. The Miners took the lead through Gustavo Scarpa in the first half, but a bucket of ice fell on the stadium with Criciúma's goal in the 84th minute. Gabriel Milito replaced Hulk, Paulinho, and Scarpa a few minutes before the visitors' goal, and Atlético couldn't react. The fans were disappointed with the Rooster's performance and will now be hoping for a different result against the rival.

The Fox picked up a precious point at the Castelão against Fortaleza. After a 3-2 home victory against Botafogo with a goal in the 96th minute, Cruzeiro scored again late in the match. Trailing 1-0 since the 19th minute, the Miners were reduced to ten players by the dismissal of Lucas Romero in the 87th minute, but against all expectations, they equalized with a Mateus Vital goal two minutes later. The team will be confident going into the Clássico Mineiro and will try to maintain its unbeaten run at the Arena MRV. 

Cruzeiro has four points and, therefore, comes into the classic ahead of Atlético, which has drawn two games. The Fox is confident thanks to its good start in the Série A and, curiously, has never lost in the three times it has played at the Arena MRV, inaugurated last year. Atlético is superior to Cruzeiro, considering the players' individual quality, but the team needs to work together to beat its rival. I'm betting on victory for the Galo, keen to give its fans the first victory in the Clássico Mineiro in its new stadium.