Cruzeiro beat Deportivo Italia in Libertadores

(GSM) – Cruzeiro went joint top of Copa Libertadores Group 7 on Thursday thanks to a 2-0 victory over Deportivo Italia.

The home side needed less than six minutes to go in front on the night when Fabinho notched his first goal of the competition with a well-placed shot beyond Italia goalkeeper José Carlo Fernández.

The visitors from Venezuela remained pegged back for much of the game, but they did threaten at times to snatch a point from the Brazilians in Belo Horizonte.

Those hopes, however, were dashed in the 70th minute as substitute Pedro Ken made it 2-0 with his second goal of the group stage.

The Brazilians sit level on seven points with Vélez Sarsfield atop the group, but the Argentines currently hold the tie-breaker.