Arsenal loanee reaches semi-finals despite defeat | OneFootball

Cruzeiro and Arsenal loanee Marquinhos qualified for the next phase of the Campeonato Mineiro on Sunday, despite losing their game against Atletico Mineiro.

Photos via @pedrovalefoto and @yurilaurindofoto on Instagram

Arsenal winger Marquinhos went on loan to Cruzeiro in January, and the player kicked off his spell playing in the Campeonato Mineiro, a competition contested by the best teams in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais.

The Brazilian Serie A will begin in late March, but for now, Cruzeiro’s focus is on this regional tournament.

Going into Sunday’s game against fellow Serie A side Atletico Mineiro, Cruzeiro were top of Group C with two games remaining. Yet they were still within reach of Aymores below them.

Photo via Marquinhos on Instagram

The Campeonato Mineiro has a rather unusual format, where teams play against every team in the competition except the teams in their own group. So whilst Atletico Mineiro are in Group A and Cruzeiro in Group C, the two teams faced each other on Sunday.

It didn’t go well for Cruzeiro, with key goalscorer Gabriel Barbosa sent off in the 30th minute. Arsenal’s Marquinhos played the full 90 for Cruziero’s 10 men, but his team ultimately lost 2-0.

Even so, it ended up being a better day for Cruzeiro than their opponents.

With Aymores losing, Cruzeiro are now mathematically assured of progression, whilst Atletico Mineiro remain second in Group A, and could even drop to third on the final day and be eliminated.

Photo via Marquinhos on Instagram

That’s just one of the quirks of the strange format. 11 points in Group C is enough to make Cruzeiro the first team to qualify for the next stage, whilst 13 points in Group A has Atletico Mineiro at risk of dropping out.

Cruzeiro face Democrata in their final game, and they still have something to play for. Their semi-final opponent will be determined by their points tally, not their group finish.

A win might give them the chance to face a runner-up in the semis instead of a group winner.