Hulk and Diego Costa players' Atlético Mineiro on Thursday won the Brasileirao 2021, the Brazilian football championship, for the first time in 50 years, breaking Flamengo's hegemony two games before the end of the competition.
The Belo Horizonte team, led by Alexi Stival "Cuca" since last March and the departure of Jorge Sampaoli in Marseille, obtained their second title after that of 1971, thanks to a victory against Bahia 3-2 in Salvador de Bahia ( northeast of the country) during an epic ascent.
The team has reached 81 points in 36 games and is 11 points ahead of Flamengo, second in the standings, which had won the last two editions of the championship.
🐔 O CLUBE ATLÉTICO MINEIRO É O CAMPEÃO BRASILEIRO OF 2021!
NÓS SOMOS CAMPEÕES, MASSA!
O #GALO É BICAMPEÃO!
GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
🏴🏳️
🏆🏆 # BicaBiCAMpeão pic.twitter.com/cR8CGjOjN6
- Atlético 😷 (@Atletico) December 2, 2021
Bahia, who is struggling to avoid relegation, began by dominating the game with two goals from Luiz Otavio and Gilberto in the 62nd and 66th minutes, but his rival regained the upper hand in four minutes with goals from the Hulk (73rd, on penalty ) and a double in Keno (74th and 77th).
After a poor start to the season, Atlético Mineiro, who have one of the best teams in America, managed to pull themselves together and dominate the competition from the fifteenth day.
The title of champion of Brasileirao 2021 rewards the financial investments of the “Mineiros” in players coveted worldwide to end the reign of Flamengo.
🤯 𝐔𝐍𝐁𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐄𝐕𝐀𝐁𝐋𝐄!
🏴🏳️ @Atletico, trailing 2-0, score three times in five minutes to win their first @Brasileirao title in 50 years 🏆
🌟 Keno is the toast of one of the most passionately-supported clubs on the planet 🌎pic.twitter.com / rD9FPUlu1h
- FIFA.com (@FIFAcom) December 2, 2021
The Flamengo of the former Parisian David Luiz, meanwhile, suffered his third blow in five days: no title in the Brazilian league or in the Copa Libertadores (they lost the final against Palmeiras on Saturday), South American equivalent of the Champions League, and no new coach after the departure of Renato Portaluppi on Monday following this turnaround.