Underdog Triumph! Cruzeiro Shocks Boca Juniors in Penalty Shootout

Cruzeiro has advanced to the quarter-finals of the Copa Sudamericana. In a dramatic penalty shootout, the Brazilian side outlasted Boca Juniors with a score of 5-4. Merentiel missed his shot, allowing Cruzeiro to secure the win after a 2-1 victory in regular time (Boca Juniors had won the first leg 1-0). The visitors were quickly down to ten men after Advíncula was sent off just 10 seconds into the match. Cruzeiro took a 2-0 lead with goals from Matheus Henrique and Walace, but Giménez’s strike for Boca forced the game into penalties.

🇧🇷⚽🇦🇷 Grande @Cruzeiro! Venceu no tempo normal por 2-1 e eliminou o @BocaJrsOficial nos pênaltis para ir às Quartas de Final da CONMEBOL #Sudamericana!#GrandeConquista pic.twitter.com/JLMvBHvbld

— CONMEBOL Sudamericana (@SudamericanaBR) August 23, 2024

In the next stage of the Copa Sudamericana, Cruzeiro will meet Libertad, who also progressed by winning on penalties. Cruzeiro’s upcoming fixtures are in the Brazilian Championship, including a rescheduled first-round match against Internacional.

Match Summary

The game started with early excitement as Cruzeiro was handed an advantage just 10 seconds in. Advíncula stepped on Romero’s ankle during a midfield challenge and was shown a straight red card. The Minas Gerais team capitalized swiftly, opening the scoring at the 8-minute mark. Matheus Pereira received a pass at the edge of the box following a poor clearance from Boca, took a powerful shot which was parried by Romero, allowing Matheus Henrique to slot it home from close range: 1-0.

⚽🦊 Ação rápida do @Cruzeiro! Matheus Henrique abriu o placar diante do @BocaJrsOficial em BH.#Sudamericana #GrandeConquista pic.twitter.com/I3EJ6laJak

— CONMEBOL Sudamericana (@SudamericanaBR) August 23, 2024

At 20 minutes, Cruzeiro doubled their lead, further strengthening their position in the tie.

After a corner kick from the left, the ball lingered in Boca’s area and Walace capitalized amidst the chaos, expertly placing it into the side netting past Romero on the left side of the goalkeeper: 2-0.

⚽🦊 Walace! O segundo gol do @Cruzeiro em 2️⃣0️⃣ minutos diante do @BocaJrsOficial!#Sudamericana #GrandeConquista pic.twitter.com/FwbU101rCn

— CONMEBOL Sudamericana (@SudamericanaBR) August 23, 2024

From that point onward, Cruzeiro began to make unnecessary mistakes, pressing less than they should have, allowing Boca to gain momentum. At 48 minutes, the Argentine team managed to pull one back. Lema was launched, outmaneuvered two players, and set up Giménez with a header. The forward controlled the ball at the edge of the six-yard box, spun, and took a weak shot that Cássio let slip by: 2-1.

⚽🇦🇷 Milton Giménez diminuiu para o @BocaJrsOficial e forçou as penalidades contra o @Cruzeiro em BH!#Sudamericana #GrandeConquista pic.twitter.com/gHt35MnTS9

— CONMEBOL Sudamericana (@SudamericanaBR) August 23, 2024

In the second half, Cruzeiro struggled to pose a threat to Boca, who successfully controlled the pace of the game. Despite this, Matheus Pereira hit the Argentine goalpost. Moreover, with Boca playing a man down, they nearly secured the win in regular time. In the final play, João Marcelo rescued Cruzeiro by clearing the ball off the line, resulting in a 2-2 draw and sending the match to a penalty shootout.

🦊🎉 Merentiel isolou e o @Cruzeiro avançou!

🔜 Tem Raposa nas Quartas de Final!#GrandeConquista pic.twitter.com/VxNcZrcsPk

— CONMEBOL Sudamericana (@SudamericanaBR) August 23, 2024

Penalty Shootout Summary

In the shootout, Cruzeiro excelled, with all their players executing flawless penalties: 5-4. Merentiel missed the decisive shot for Boca, enabling Cruzeiro to advance. William, Matheus Henrique, Marlon, Juan Dinenno, and Álvaro Barreal scored for the home team, while Marcos Rojo, Lema, Blanco, and Figal netted their penalties for Boca.