Atlético Mineiro Defeats Caracas 3-1 in Copa Sudamericana Group Stage

Atlético Mineiro secured a crucial 3-1 victory against Caracas FC in their Copa Sudamericana Group H encounter at Arena MRV in Belo Horizonte. The match took place on May 15, 2025, positioning the Brazilian club favorably for qualification to the knockout stages.

The scoring opened in the 28th minute when Caracas defender Blessing Edet unfortunately turned the ball into his own net. Atlético Mineiro doubled their advantage shortly after halftime through Tomás Cuello, who headed home in the 48th minute to make it 2-0.

Caracas managed to reduce the deficit in the 58th minute when Jeriel De Santis successfully converted a penalty kick. The Venezuelan striker, who has been in good form with three goals in his last four games, sent his right-footed shot to the bottom right corner past the Atlético goalkeeper.

The Brazilian side restored their two-goal cushion in the 76th minute when Rony scored Atlético’s third goal. The striker benefited from excellent build-up play by Gustavo Scarpa, who provided the assist.

The match statistics reflected Atlético Mineiro’s dominance. The home team controlled 57% of possession and demonstrated their attacking intent throughout the match. Veteran forward Hulk came close to adding his name to the scoresheet when his powerful strike rattled the crossbar.

Atlético Mineiro Defeats Caracas 3-1 in Copa Sudamericana Group Stage

With this result, Atlético Mineiro moves to second place in Group H with 8 points from 5 matches. They now trail group leaders Cienciano by just one point. The final matchday will feature a decisive clash between these two teams, with direct qualification to the round of 16 at stake.

Meanwhile, in another Group H fixture played in Montevideo, Corinthians defeated Racing Club 1-0 thanks to a 74th-minute goal from Matheus Bidú. This victory keeps Corinthians in contention with 8 points, level with Atlético Mineiro but behind on tiebreakers.

The group standings remain tight heading into the final matchday. Cienciano leads with 9 points, followed by Atlético Mineiro and Corinthians with 8 points each. Caracas sits at the bottom with just 3 points, now eliminated from contention for direct qualification.