“Suffering a draw like this is frustrating. It shouldn’t happen, and it keeps happening,” lamented Maycon.
Atlético-MG took the field motivated against Botafogo. In the opening minutes, a resurgence in the Brazilian Championship seemed within reach. Intensity, pressure, speed — the team deployed these weapons and created good plays. Gradually, that rhythm faded, giving way to a tight contest that ended in a painful draw for the home side.
Domínguez’s plan was to start with three center-backs. However, during the warm-up, Ruan Tressoldi felt pain and was ruled out at the last minute. Natanael was chosen to replace him. Originally a right-back, he did not push forward down the flank. His role was similar to that of a center-back — but far from a consistent performance.
The Galo started at full steam. With Bernard on the left, the team applied pressure and scored in the first minute, but the goal was quickly disallowed for offside. The squad didn’t give up and continued with good work from the duo of Cassierra and Alan Minda — the latter playing as a second striker.
It didn’t last long. Botafogo managed to balance possession, and the match became stuck in midfield, with few chances for either side. Atlético shone again through Cassierra, the standout player of the match. Versatile, the number 9 has proven useful in hold-up play, finishing, and creating opportunities. He was the one who opened the scoring.
Afterward, Atlético dropped deep. That’s when their Achilles’ heel appeared. The team lowered their lines and allowed Botafogo to create chances. Coach Eduardo Domínguez didn’t make effective use of his substitutions.
Alexsander, who came on to perform Bernard’s role, struggled. He created little. Hampered by his positioning on the field, the number 5 neither defended nor attacked effectively. The Galo still managed shots through Iván Román and Cuello but failed to convert.
Botafogo applied pressure and equalized through an individual error on Atlético’s side. Center-back Junior Alonso focused on blocking Barboza’s advance. The ball hit the Paraguayan defender’s back and fell to Arthur Cabral, who leveled the score.
The result for Atlético only exposed an old problem. The team starts well, with respectable game plans and even some effectiveness, but cannot maintain it. This time, they crumbled in stoppage time.
With the World Cup break approaching, Domínguez appears to have several gaps to address. Consistency is one of them. Without it, Atlético will remain far from their objective. Currently, the team is closer to the relegation zone than to the top five — the goal set for the season.
“It feels like a repeat — Galo falters at the end and hands over the draw,” says Carol | A Voz da Torcida