2018 Copa do Brasil Finals
# 2018 Copa do Brasil Finals

The 2018 Copa do Brasil Finals was the final two-legged tie that decided the 2018 Copa do Brasil, the 30th season of the Copa do Brasil, Brazil's national cup football tournament organised by the Brazilian Football Confederation.

The finals were contested in a two-legged home-and-away format between the defending champions Cruzeiro, from Minas Gerais, and Corinthians, from São Paulo. Cruzeiro and Corinthians reached the Copa do Brasil finals for the eighth and sixth time, respectively.

A draw by CBF was held on 27 September 2018 to determine the home-and-away teams for each leg. The first leg was hosted by Cruzeiro at Mineirão in Belo Horizonte on 10 October 2018, while the second leg was hosted by Corinthians at Arena Corinthians in São Paulo on 17 October 2018.

Cruzeiro defeated Corinthians 3–1 on aggregate in the finals to win their sixth title. As champions, Cruzeiro earned the right to play in the 2019 Copa Libertadores Group stage and the 2019 Copa do Brasil Round of 16. Cruzeiro were the first team to successfully defend the title.

## Teams

| Team | Previous finals appearances (bold indicates winners) |
| - | - |
| Cruzeiro | 7 (1993, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2014, 2017) |
| Corinthians | 5 (1995, 2001, 2002, 2008, 2009) |

### Road to the final

Note: In all scores below, the score of the home team is given first.

| Cruzeiro | Cruzeiro | Cruzeiro | Round | Corinthians | Corinthians | Corinthians |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Opponent | Venue | Score | | Opponent | Venue | Score |
| Atlético Paranaense (won 3–2 on aggregate) | Away | 1–2 | Round of 16 | Vitória (won 3–1 on aggregate) | Away | 0–0 |
| Atlético Paranaense (won 3–2 on aggregate) | Home | 1–1 | Round of 16 | Vitória (won 3–1 on aggregate) | Home | 3–1 |
| Santos (tied 2–2 on aggregate, won 3–0 on penalties) | Away | 0–1 | Quarter-finals | Chapecoense (won 2–0 on aggregate) | Home | 1–0 |
| Santos (tied 2–2 on aggregate, won 3–0 on penalties) | Home | 1–2 | Quarter-finals | Chapecoense (won 2–0 on aggregate) | Away | 0–1 |
| Palmeiras (won 2–1 on aggregate) | Away | 0–1 | Semi-finals | Flamengo (won 2–1 on aggregate) | Away | 0–0 |
| Palmeiras (won 2–1 on aggregate) | Home | 1–1 | Semi-finals | Flamengo (won 2–1 on aggregate) | Home | 2–1 |

## Format

In the finals, the teams played a single-elimination tournament with the following rules:

* The finals were played on a home-and-away two-legged basis. The home-and-away teams for both legs were determined by a draw held on 27 September 2018 at the CBF headquarters in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
* If tied on aggregate, the away goals rule and extra time would not be used and the penalty shoot-out would be used to determine the winner. (Regulations Article 12.c).

## Matches

### First leg

In the second leg of the semi-finals, Douglas (Corinthians) picked up a yellow card and Sassá (Cruzeiro) was sent off which meant they were suspended for the first leg of the Finals. Giorgian De Arrascaeta (Cruzeiro) was called-up for the Uruguay National Team and he could not play the first leg.

A goal from Thiago Neves gave Cruzeiro a 1–0 win over Corinthians in the first leg. The winning goal came after a cross from Egídio headed into the net in the 45th minute by Thiago Neves.

| Cruzeiro | Corinthians |
| - | - |
| GK | 1 | Fábio |
| RB | 22 | Edílson |
| CB | 26 | Dedé |
| CB | 3 | Léo |
| LB | 6 | Egídio | 71' |
| CM | 8 | Henrique (c) | 77' |
| CM | 5 | Ariel Cabral |
| RW | 19 | Robinho |
| AM | 30 | Thiago Neves | 61' | 81' |
| LW | 18 | Rafinha | | 88' |
| CF | 28 | Hernán Barcos | | 75' |
| Substitutes: ||
| GK | 12 | Rafael |
| DF | 2 | Ezequiel |
| DF | 4 | Murilo |
| DF | 25 | Marcelo Hermes |
| MF | 16 | Lucas Silva |
| MF | 20 | Bruno Silva |
| MF | 21 | Federico Mancuello |
| MF | 29 | Lucas Romero |
| FW | 7 | Rafael Sóbis | | 88' |
| FW | 9 | Fred |
| FW | 11 | David | | 81' |
| FW | 17 | Raniel | | 75' |
| Manager: ||
| Mano Menezes ||
| GK | 12 | Cássio (c) |
| RB | 23 | Fagner |
| CB | 14 | Léo Santos | 38' |
| CB | 3 | Henrique |
| LB | 35 | Danilo Avelar |
| DM | 15 | Ralf |
| DM | 5 | Gabriel |
| RW | 11 | Ángel Romero |
| AM | 10 | Jádson | 42' | 80' |
| AM | 22 | Mateus Vital | | 66' |
| LW | 25 | Clayson | | 60' |
| Substitutes: ||
| GK | 27 | Walter |
| DF | 13 | Marllon |
| DF | 33 | Carlos Augusto |
| DF | 34 | Pedro Henrique |
| MF | 2 | Guilherme Mantuan |
| MF | 16 | Ángelo Araos | 88' 90+2' | 66' |
| MF | 17 | Thiaguinho |
| MF | 20 | Danilo |
| MF | 38 | Pedrinho | | 60' |
| FW | 7 | Jonathas |
| FW | 21 | Sergio Díaz |
| FW | 47 | Emerson Sheik | | 80' |
| Manager: ||
| Jair Ventura ||

* Man of the Match:
* Thiago Neves (Cruzeiro)
* Assistant referees:
* Alessandro Álvaro Rocha de Matos (Bahia)
* Fabrício Vilarinho da Silva (Goiás)
* Fourth official:
* Bruno Arleu de Araújo (Rio de Janeiro)
* Fifth official:
* Rafael da Silva Alves (Rio Grande do Sul)
* Video assistant referee:
* Wilton Sampaio (Goiás)

### Second leg

Egídio (Cruzeiro), booked in the first leg, Ángelo Araos (Corinthians) sent off in the first leg, and Sassá (Cruzeiro), suspended six games, were ruled out of the second leg.

In the second leg, Cruzeiro defeated Corinthians 1–2 to lift the Copa do Brasil. Robinho scored in the 27th minute after Hernan Barcos' shot off the post. Jádson equalized thanks to a penalty awarded with the help of the VAR after a play between Thiago Neves and Ralf within the Cruzeiro area. The referee, after another VAR review, annulled a goal of Pedrinho due to a foul on Dedé by Jádson. With under 10 minutes left, Giorgian De Arrascaeta scored after a pass from Raniel finishing a counter attack.

| Corinthians | Cruzeiro |
| - | - |
| GK | 12 | Cássio (c) |
| RB | 23 | Fagner | 32' |
| CB | 14 | Léo Santos |
| CB | 3 | Henrique |
| LB | 35 | Danilo Avelar |
| CM | 15 | Ralf | 8' |
| CM | 5 | Gabriel | 19' | 80' |
| RW | 11 | Ángel Romero |
| AM | 10 | Jádson | 71' |
| LW | 47 | Emerson Sheik | 25' | 77' |
| CF | 7 | Jonathas | | 67' |
| Substitutes: ||
| GK | 27 | Walter |
| DF | 13 | Marllon |
| DF | 33 | Carlos Augusto |
| DF | 34 | Pedro Henrique |
| DF | 37 | Vilson |
| MF | 17 | Thiaguinho |
| MF | 20 | Danilo |
| MF | 22 | Mateus Vital | | 80' |
| MF | 30 | Douglas |
| MF | 38 | Pedrinho | | 67' |
| FW | 21 | Sergio Díaz |
| FW | 25 | Clayson | 86' | 77' |
| Manager: ||
| Jair Ventura ||
| GK | 1 | Fábio |
| RB | 22 | Edílson |
| CB | 26 | Dedé |
| CB | 3 | Léo |
| LB | 29 | Lucas Romero |
| CM | 8 | Henrique (c) |
| CM | 5 | Ariel Cabral |
| RW | 19 | Robinho | 56' |
| AM | 30 | Thiago Neves | 40' | 80' |
| LW | 18 | Rafinha | 35' | 67' |
| CF | 28 | Hernán Barcos | | 73' |
| Substitutes: ||
| GK | 12 | Rafael |
| DF | 2 | Ezequiel |
| DF | 4 | Murilo |
| DF | 14 | Cacá |
| DF | 25 | Marcelo Hermes |
| MF | 10 | Giorgian De Arrascaeta | | 67' |
| MF | 16 | Lucas Silva | | 80' |
| MF | 20 | Bruno Silva |
| FW | 7 | Rafael Sóbis |
| FW | 9 | Fred |
| FW | 11 | David |
| FW | 17 | Raniel | | 73' |
| Manager: ||
| Mano Menezes ||

* Man of the Match:
* Dedé (Cruzeiro)
* Assistant referees:
* Rodrigo Figueiredo Henrique Corrêa (Rio de Janeiro)
* Bruno Boschilia (Paraná)
* Fourth official:
* Jean Pierre Gonçalves Lima (Rio Grande do Sul)
* Fifth official:
* Luiz Cláudio Regazone (Rio de Janeiro)
* Video assistant referee:
* Wilton Sampaio (Goiás)
