cruzeiro vs universidad católica takes center stage on Wednesday night as Cruzeiro hosts Universidad Católica of Chile at the Mineirão at 7: 00 PM ET in the second round of the Conmebol Libertadores group stage. The match matters because both teams arrive with different pressure points: Cruzeiro is trying to extend a strong run, while Universidad Católica needs points after a losing start. The game is set for Group D, with and Disney+ listed for transmission and live time-by-time coverage expected throughout the night.
Cruzeiro Vs Universidad Católica at Mineirão
Cruzeiro comes in with two straight wins, including a 1-0 victory over Barcelona de Guayaquil in its Libertadores debut and a 2-1 win over Bragantino in the Brazilian league. Those results have eased a difficult stretch that had left the club near the bottom of the domestic table. For this match, Romero is back in the squad after missing the last three games with thigh pain, while Kaio Jorge is out with a pubic problem and has no return date set.
The probable Cruzeiro lineup is Matheus Cunha; Fagner, Fabrício Bruno, Jonathan Jesus and Kaiki Bruno; Lucas Silva, Gerson, Matheus Pereira; Christian, Arroyo and Néiser Villarreal. Also listed as unavailable are Cássio with a multiligament knee injury, Luís Sinisterra with a right thigh muscle injury, and Marquinhos with a left knee injury. In the context of cruzeiro vs universidad católica, the home side’s available depth may prove important if the match becomes tight late on.
Universidad Católica arrives needing a result
Universidad Católica opened its Libertadores campaign with a 2-1 defeat to Boca Juniors, then responded with a 4-3 win over Audax Italiano in the Chilean league. The club needs a result to move closer to the Group D leaders, Boca Juniors and Cruzeiro, and the expected plan is to keep the same base that delivered the weekend victory. The probable lineup is Bernedo; Gónzalez, Branco Ampuero, Juan Diaz, Arancibia, Cuevas; Martínez or Zuqui, Valencia; Matías Palavecino; Zampedri and Giani.
Coach Daniel Garnero also has several absences to manage. Agustín Farías is out with a muscle injury, Tomás Astaburuaga and Diego Valencia are sidelined with right knee ACL injuries, Bernardo Cerezo has muscle problems, Medel did not travel because of muscle pain, and Nicolás L’Huillier was rested. Gary Mendel is among the latest absences after feeling muscle pain soon after the Boca Juniors match.
What the night means in Group D
For Cruzeiro, this is another chance to build on a positive start and keep control of the group after a clean win in its opening match. For Universidad Católica, cruzeiro vs universidad católica is a test of response and resilience after an opening loss that left little margin for error.
The referee is Carlos Betancur of Colombia, with Alexander Guzmán and Christian Aguirre as assistants, Nicolas Gallo on VAR duty, and Carlos Ortega as fourth official. The match kicks off at 7: 00 PM ET at the Mineirão, and the next major checkpoint will be the final team decisions and the opening minutes, when both sides will try to settle the pace early in cruzeiro vs universidad católica.
