Chapecoense and Cruzeiro will meet on Sunday at 18:30 Brasília time in the first leg of the Copa do Brasil round of 16 at Arena Condá in Chapecó. Raphael Claus will referee the match, with Sportv and Premiere showing it live and ge following in real time.
The game arrives at a sharp moment for both sides. Chapecoense earned its place by eliminating Botafogo at Arena Condá, a run it wants to use to soften the blow of a poor campaign in the Campeonato Brasileiro da Série A. Cruzeiro advanced after a tighter path against Goiás, drawing 2-2 in Goiânia before winning 1-0 at Mineirão, and now faces a different test with its attack stretched by absences.
For Chapecoense, the list of registered additions for the Copa do Brasil gives the squad a little more room. Fernando, Bruno Tubarão, Max Alves, Túlio Eduardo and Franco Rossi were among the five signings made available for the tournament, while Anderson has recovered from injury and is now an option for the coaching staff. Even so, Rafael Carvalheira, João Paulo, Garcez, Victor Caetano and Robert remain out, which leaves the margin for error thin in a two-legged tie where the first home match is supposed to do the damage.
Cruzeiro’s issue is less about depth in midfield than about who can actually finish moves. Gabriel Pec and Sinisterra are long-term absences, Néiser Villarreal stayed behind with muscular discomfort, and Wanderson and Chico da Costa were left out by technical choice. That puts more weight on the players who are available, and Fagner’s return to the starting team after a third yellow card suspension adds a stabilizing piece to a side that also comes in after two wins and one loss in the Brasileirão, with victories over Internacional and Coritiba and a defeat to Botafogo.
The first leg should tell Chapecoense whether its cup run can keep carrying the season and whether Cruzeiro can absorb its attacking losses without letting the tie drift away before it reaches the return game. For now, the match is set, the absences are clear, and the pressure sits where knockout football always puts it: on the team that has to make home advantage count.
