Cruzeiro stunned as Bragantino win 3-1 with three first-half goals
By Rive News / Research desk | Rive News / Published October 13, 2026 at 7:30 AM PKT
Key takeaways
- Bragantino beat Cruzeiro 3-1 in round 30 of Brazil's Serie A on Monday night.
- All four goals came in the first half, including a Cruzeiro own goal.
- The win ended Bragantino's run of six games without a victory.
Red Bull Bragantino beat Cruzeiro 3-1 on Monday night in Brazil's top football league. Three first-half goals settled the match in Braganca Paulista. The defeat left Cruzeiro fans furious after a costly error from goalkeeper Otavio.
The result matters because of the table The Brasileirao is Brazil's top football league Teams earn three points for a win and one for a draw
After 38 rounds, the team with the most points is the champion The clubs at the bottom drop down to the second division Every point counts, and this win gave Bragantino three big ones
What happened
The home side struck first in the 13th minute Lucas Barbosa rose to head home a corner from Wallace Yan The ball flew past the Cruzeiro keeper and into the net
It was 1-0, and the crowd sensed more
More came fast In the 20th minute, another Wallace Yan corner caused chaos The ball first met the head of Cruzeiro full-back William
He could not clear it Goalkeeper Otavio also failed to deal with it The ball dropped to striker Kaio Jorge, who tried to clear with his right foot
His touch sent the ball into his own net instead It was 2-0, and the Cruzeiro players looked stunned
The third goal arrived in the 30th minute. Eric Ramires finished for Bragantino to make it 3-0. The hosts had turned early pressure into a big lead.
Cruzeiro had barely touched the ball in the Bragantino box.
Cruzeiro finally responded before half-time. Ze Lucas scored in the 43rd minute to make it 3-1. It gave the visitors hope for the second half.
But no more goals came after the break, and the score stayed 3-1 until the final whistle, according to the match data.
The numbers tell a strange story Cruzeiro held 72 percent of possession Bragantino had only 28 percent
But the hosts took their chances The shot count was nearly even at 11 to 10. Bragantino put five on target, while Cruzeiro managed eight The difference was in the box, where Bragantino punished every mistake
Why it matters
The big talking point was goalkeeper Otavio His failure to clear the ball on the opening goal drew heavy criticism Fans of Cruzeiro, known as the Raposa, vented their anger online
A LANCE report summed up the mood with the headline line "Nao pode", which means "that cannot happen" in Portuguese
The result also changed the picture at the bottom of the table Bragantino started the night in 11th place with 37 points That was six points above Internacional, the first club inside the relegation zone
A loss would have dragged them closer to danger The win took them to 40 points and some breathing room
It also ended a painful run Bragantino had gone six games without a win They lost to Sao Paulo, Bahia, Flamengo, and Atletico-MG in that stretch
They drew with Mirassol and Botafogo Their last victory had come at home against Gremio, 1-0. This 3-1 win broke that streak in style
For Cruzeiro, the defeat ended a short revival Coach Artur Jorge had steadied the team after exits from the Libertadores and the Copa do Brasil Those are South America's and Brazil's big cup contests
Cruzeiro had won two league games in a row They beat Sao Paulo 2-0 after the international break This loss stopped that momentum cold
The set-piece weakness will worry Cruzeiro most Two of Bragantino's three goals came from corners swung in by Wallace Yan The visitors could not cope with balls into the box
The own goal summed up the panic in their defense
Big scorelines can still swing late, as the 3-3 draw between Pumas and Cruz Azul showed in Mexico But Cruzeiro never found a second goal Their 72 percent of the ball produced only one finish
Possession without punch means little when the other team scores from nearly every visit to your box
Derby nights often turn on single mistakes, and the Cruz Azul vs Pumas clasico was another reminder that one error can shape a whole game. Here, Otavio's missed clearance set the tone. The keeper will know the fans expect better.
What happens next
Bragantino can now look up the table instead of down With 40 points, the relegation fight feels further away The challenge is to build on this win
One big night means little if the team slips back into the winless habit
Cruzeiro must fix their defending at corners Teams will now target them from set pieces Coach Artur Jorge needs a response in the next round
The club still sits in the upper half of the table, but dropped points like these hurt
The 2026 Brasileirao season runs until December There are still rounds left to play, and the table will keep shifting For now, Bragantino own the bragging rights from this one
A 3-1 home win, an angry rival fan base, and a keeper controversy made this a night to remember in Braganca Paulista
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