In the Arena da Baixada, Furacão tries to turn history to win the bi-championship
It’s decision! The time has come for us to know who will be the champion, or better, two-time champion of the Copa do Brasil 2021. In the Arena da Baixada, the ball will roll at 9:30 pm (Brasilia time) for Atlético-PR and Atlético-MG to decide who will lift the cup.
Galo won the first leg by 4-0 at Mineirão. Remember that the qualified goal, the one scored for home, is not a tiebreaker in the Copa do Brasil 2021. Therefore, Hurricane needs to win by five goals difference to get the title. A four-goal victory for Rubro-Negro takes the match to the penalty shootout.
Atlético-MG can finish the biggest year in the club’s history tonight. Brazilian champion with the second-biggest campaign of the 20 clubs’ straight points era, Galo is trying to make the double and also win the Copa do Brasil.
In the final of the competition for the third time, Atlético seeks the bichampionship. In 2014 the team won its first title, when it won Cruzeiro. In 2016, Galo hit the trip and was defeated by Grêmio.
Atlético have a very complicated mission. Need to reverse the rout in the first game over the current Brazilian champion. Even if he doesn’t get the cup, it was one of the most victorious years in the club’s history. In addition to guaranteeing a place in the final of the Copa do Brasil, Hurricane won the Copa Sudamericana, with a 1-0 victory over Bragantino, in Montevideo, Uruguay.
Alberto Valentim will have to change the team that lost the first game in the final. Thiago Heleno received the third yellow card and is suspended. Nikão must be another embezzlement. The attacking midfielder has injured his left ankle and is unlikely to come into play.
Like his opponent, the red-black from Paraná also reaches the final of the Copa do Brasil for the third time. The team was champion in 2019, when it beat Internacional and got the vice-championship in 2013, when it was defeated by Flamengo.
To reverse the four-goal difference in the match, Valentim can change the tactical scheme. Without Thiago Heleno, the doubt is between Zé Ivaldo, the natural replacement for the position, and Christian, for having another player in midfield. With that, Atlético would give up the three defenders and would have three defensive midfielders and three forwards in the Arena da Baixada match.
Cuca, on the other hand, should not have Diego Costa, who suffered discomfort in his thigh during the first match, and only traveled to Curitiba after training on Tuesday, when he was absent. Without shirt 19, Vargas is the natural substitute. However, there are chances of Atlético wanting to adopt a less risky posture in defense, and even trigger Nacho in the attacker’s vacancy.
Defender Réver, who was absent in the last match because he is still recovering from a muscle problem, trained with the ball normally. Cuca, at the press conference, said that the captain is 100%. The biggest possibility, however, is that Igor Rabello will continue as Nathan Silva’s replacement.
