Cruzeiro beat Corinthians 1-0 in first leg of Copa do Brasil final

Rio de Janeiro : Cruzeiro won 1-0 at home against Corinthians in the first leg of the final of the Copa do Brasil at the Mineirao stadium in Belo Horizonte.

Cruzeiro, the reigning Copa champions, took a step closer to defending their title thanks to Thiago Neves' header in the 45th minute, bringing his goals total for the season to 13, reports Efe news.

The match was dominated by the home team, managed by Mano Menezes, with seven attempts at goal during the 90 minutes of play on Wednesday night.

Corinthians, despite the efforts of midfielder Jadson, squandered several opportunities to score.

Cruzeiro are odds on to retain the Copa do Brasil championship, and once again book a place in next year's Copa Libertadores.