João Marcelo reflects on duel with Pedro in Cruzeiro vs Flamengo

Cruzeiro defender João Marcelo has reflected on his defensive performance during the team's 2-1 victory over Flamengo. The center-back discussed the challenge of containing striker Pedro after receiving an early yellow card midway through the first half.

Undoubtedly, he is a great player. But we were taking risks. I got booked in the first half, and it is difficult to play on a yellow card against Flamengo. We managed to pace ourselves, and we had help from the guys up front. I managed to have a good game, and it was an important victory. João Marcelo

Marcelo also addressed his current form, noting that he is steadily regaining his rhythm following a complicated injury that required a long recovery period. He expressed satisfaction with his current fitness level and credited the collective effort of the squad for the team's strong performance.

The match was highly competitive, with Arroyo equalizing for Cruzeiro after Pedro had opened the scoring for the visitors. The decisive moment came in stoppage time when Matheus Pereira scored the winner to secure all three points for the home side.