Cruzeiro vs Vasco da Gama Prediction: Cruzeiro has a new boss

Fernando Diniz was a Cruzeiro player 20 years ago and is now the new coach of the Belo Horizonte club. In a controversial decision, the Cruzeiro board decided to sack Fernando Seabra with the team in seventh place and well-placed to reach the Copa Sudamericana semi-finals. Diniz made his debut with a draw at home to Libertad but won't be on the bench against Vasco because he received a red card in his last game as Fluminense coach.

The Fox drew 1-1 at home against Libertad and qualified for the Copa Sudamericana semi-finals. In the first leg, the Miners had won 2-0 in Paraguay with Seabra still in charge, so it was no surprise that they progressed to the next round. Cruzeiro didn't play well on Fernando Diniz's debut. The team scored after just 12 minutes through Kaio Jorge, and it looked like the game would be a walk in the park. However, in the second half, everything changed, and Libertad threatened Cássio's goal several times. With Cruzeiro down to ten players, the legendary Roque Santa Cruz scored in the 72nd minute to tie the game. The Paraguayans continued chasing the victory, but Cássio made some great saves. Cruzeiro will face Lanús in the semi-finals, and the two games will take place in October. If Diniz's team wins the competition, it will qualify for the Copa Libertadores, the club's target. Cruzeiro can also reach the Copa Libertadores if it finishes the Brasileirão in the top six.

The Cruzmaltino lost 1-0 to Palmeiras in the last round and dropped to 10th place. Vasco played as the host, but the match took place in Brasilia. At the moment, Palmeiras is the team with the best run in the league, so the result was as expected. The Cariocas are in a comfortable position in the Brasileirão, and the competition where they hope to do something special is the Copa do Brasil. Vasco will face Atlético Mineiro in the semi-finals in the middle of next week, and perhaps a high tempo in the game with Cruzeiro won't be desirable.

It's still early days for Diniz, but he's a renowned coach who will bring ambition to the club, and the players will be motivated. Vasco is not an easy team to play against, but the first leg of the Copa do Brasil semi-finals might be subconsciously on the Cariocas' minds. I'm backing Cruzeiro to win.