Corinthians centre-back welcomes fight for starting spot and praises squad attitude after 1-0 win | OneFootball

Corinthians beat Athletico-PR 1-0 at Arena da Baixada in the Brasileiro second round, recording their seventh clean sheet in 12 matches.

Gustavo Henrique and Gabriel Paulista started at centre-back, with André Ramalho later introduced as Corinthians switched to three at the back. According to Meu Timao, after the match André said competition for places is healthy and that everyone works for the club, with selection left to coach Dorival Júnior.

He stressed players must always give their best for the club, fans and themselves, and he will continue to do so. He accepted Dorival’s choice of Gustavo Henrique and Gabriel Paulista in his position on the night, while aiming to play as often as possible.

Beyond that trio, options include João Pedro Tchoca and 17-year-old Iago Machado from the under-20s, who has trained with the senior squad. The Argentine Fabrizio Angileri, a natural left-back, also featured last season as a left-sided third centre-back.

The defensive group has been trimmed at the start of the year. Corinthians have agreed a loan for Félix Torres to Internacional and have moved to send Cacá to Vitória on the same terms, running until the end of 2026 with an obligation to buy linked to targets. Renato remains away from the group, not in the staff’s plans, and awaits interest from another club.

Corinthians are back in action on Sunday, facing Portuguesa at Canindé at 20:30 in a one-off Campeonato Paulista quarter-final.

Source: Meu Timao