Atlético-MG and Juventude played to a scoreless draw in the first leg of their Copa do Brasil round-of-16 tie on Saturday, August 1, at Arena MRV in Belo Horizonte.
More than 37,000 fans attended, but Atlético-MG could not get past Juventude's defense over the full 90 minutes.
Galo presses in first half
Atlético-MG dominated possession and pressure in the first half. Renan Lodi had the first chance in the 19th minute, but goalkeeper Jandrei made the save.
In the 34th minute, Natanael entered the box, dribbled past Gabriel Pinheiro and fell inside the area. Atlético-MG's players appealed for a penalty, but referee Fernando Antonio Nascimento Filho waved play on.
Juventude pushed forward late in the half. In the 45th minute, Safira struck the crossbar with a shot from outside the box. A minute later, Maycon set up Renan Lodi one-on-one with Jandrei, but he shot over the goal.
Balanced second half
Juventude created more danger and controlled more possession early in the second half. Atlético-MG's coach made attacking changes, bringing on Tomás Cuello and Alan Minda for Maycon and Dudu, then Igor Gomes and Preciado for Bernard and Natanael.
In the 24th minute, Lyanco blocked a close-range effort from Alisson Safira. Injuries forced Juventude's coach, Barbieri, to substitute Safira, Aderlan and Mandaca for Alan Kardec, Nathan Santos and Luan Martins.
The second leg is scheduled for Tuesday, August 4, at 7:30 p.m. Brasília time at Estádio Alfredo Jaconi in Caxias do Sul.
