CA Mineiro vs. Cruzeiro EC

Cruzeiro hosts Atlético Mineiro at Mineirão in the first leg of the Copa do Brasil quarterfinals, a Minas Gerais derby where both sides arrive in strong recent form. Cruzeiro enters with momentum after a late 2-1 Brasileirão win over Flamengo, though long-term absences of Gabriel Pec and Luis Sinisterra limit attacking depth. Atlético remains unbeaten in 11 matches following a 0-0 draw at Internacional and has shown defensive organization despite multiple injuries including Lyanco, Léo Duarte, and Igor Gomes. Multiple head-to-head meetings this year have produced narrow results, with Atlético holding a slight edge overall but Cruzeiro claiming the state title. Significant squad rotation and the two-legged format keep implied probabilities clustered tightly around a balanced outcome.