​Lodi hits his best goal tally in a seasonRenan Lodi is enjoying a special season in the Galo shirt. By scoring the equalizer in the 1-1 draw with Cruzeiro on Tuesday (25) at Mineirão, the left-back reached five goals in 2026, setting his best mark in a single club season.The goal in the derby also came at a special moment: Lodi made his 40th appearance for Atlético in the match. In his professional career, the player had never scored five times for a club in the same season.Before joining Galo, his best marks were four goals in a season. He reached that number for Atlético de Madrid in 2021/22 and for Al-Hilal in 2024/25. For Athletico-PR, he scored three goals in 2018, while for Nottingham Forest he scored once in 2022/23.For Atlético, Lodi had already found the net against Cienciano, Ceará, Bahia, and Internacional before scoring again in Tuesday’s derby. The goal against Cruzeiro was the full-back’s fifth for the Club this season.The goalView this post on InstagramA post shared by Clube Atlético Mineiro (@atletico)In the 24th minute of the second half, Lodi took part in the move started by Bernard. Wearing the No. 6 shirt, he received the ball from Cuello, pushed forward down the left flank and, even from a tight angle, struck firmly to level it at Mineirão.The goal also confirmed the attacking importance Lodi has shown throughout the season. In 40 matches for Galo in 2026, the full-back has five goals and three assists.Progress highlighted by the coachPhoto: Pedro Souza / AtléticoHead coach Eduardo Domínguez also highlighted Lodi’s progress and the daily work put in by the full-back. For the coach, this good spell is a reflection of the player’s preparation and quality.“He deserves what he is experiencing because he prepares himself and has tremendous individual quality. When an experienced player who has the quality he has, especially Lodi, starts to raise his level, we don’t know how high we can expect him to go. We will try to help him improve, because there are things to improve, but without overlooking all the potential he has and that the team has to make the most of.”Lodi speaksLodi also spoke after the match and shared credit for the milestone with his teammates. For the full-back, his individual moment is directly linked to the strength shown by the group throughout the season.“I’m very happy with my moment and with the moment the team is having, which isn’t easy. Whoever comes in, whoever goes out, there are never any sour faces. We always have to thank the group for everything it has been doing. And we’re not stopping here.”The milestone achieved in the derby reinforces Lodi’s progress in his journey with Galo. At 28 years old, the full-back now has 40 matches, five goals, and three assists for the Club this season, enjoying the highest-scoring year of his career for a team since turning professional.The draw at Mineirão left the Copa do Brasil quarterfinal tie wide open. The second leg will be p