Cruzeiro eyes Libertadores spot without derby wins

The celestial team has 10 matches left and can secure the G4 with combinations of wins and draws

After the international break, Cruzeiro resumed the Série A with 45 points and its main goal is to secure a direct spot in the 2027 Libertadores. The objective gained momentum because the team still has 10 rounds left and can reach the historical average of 64 points without needing to win the remaining direct clashes.

The Fox's goal in the final stretch

Coach Arthur Jorge had 11 days to work with the team during the break and returned focused on qualifying for the G4. The board has already signaled that selling players is part of the strategy, but the immediate priority is to gather enough points to reach fourth place.

Points scenario for the Libertadores

In editions with 20 clubs, the average for fourth place was 64 points. To reach this level, Cruzeiro needs to earn 19 of the 30 points still at stake. This can be done with six wins and a draw, or even with five wins and four draws in the ten remaining matches.

Direct clashes and games against the relegation zone

Among the remaining duels, the Fox has three direct clashes – Atlético-MG, Fluminense, and Bahia – as well as four matches against teams fighting relegation. If they win all matches against the Z-4, they earn 12 points, reaching 57. There would then be seven points left to win in the six remaining fixtures, which is equivalent to two wins and a draw.

Cruzeiro's remaining schedule

10/07 – Cruzeiro vs. São Paulo (Mineirão)
10/12 – Bragantino vs. Cruzeiro (Mineirão)
10/18 – Grêmio vs. Cruzeiro (Arena do Grêmio)
10/23 – Cruzeiro vs. Remo (Mineirão)
10/29 – Atlético-MG vs. Cruzeiro (Arena MRV)
11/05 – Cruzeiro vs. Bahia (Mineirão)
11/18 – Cruzeiro vs. Palmeiras (Mineirão)
11/22 – Chapecoense vs. Cruzeiro (Arena Condá)
11/29 – Fluminense vs. Cruzeiro (Maracanã)
12/02 – Cruzeiro vs. Internacional (Mineirão)

Current position and result dependency

With 45 points, Cruzeiro occupies sixth place. A win against São Paulo would lift the team to 48 points, tying with Fluminense, but maintaining the tiebreaker advantage. As Fluminense and Bahia still have games on Thursday, Cruzeiro depends only on its own results to reach the G4 in the following round.

With information from ge, Terra.