Young midfielder debuts for Corinthians: stats and Dorival’s view | OneFootball

Last Saturday, Corinthians defeated Fluminense 1-0 at Maracanã, in the 23rd round of the Brazilian Championship. The night was even more special for midfielder André Luiz, who got his first opportunity and made his professional debut for Timão.

There was doubt whether André would start the match as a Corinthians starter due to the large number of team absences in the midfield - in total, there were five absences (Raniele, José Martínez, Carrillo and Charles, injured, and Bidon, suspended). However, coach Dorival Júnior chose to maintain the system with three defenders.

Corinthians had a lackluster first half and the coach, therefore, had to make changes to the team. Dorival took Kayke off at halftime and promoted the debut of André Luiz, bringing Maycon to play as a number ten. In his first interactions with the ball, the young midfielder seemed a bit nervous.

Despite the nervousness, the 19-year-old boy showed personality and had some good plays in the match. His vigor and physical ability caught the eye. According to Gazeta Esportiva, the youngster had been pleasing Dorival Júnior in training.

"Some boys are coming up. We have been working with André for about 50 to 60 days. It's not just about bringing the boy, putting him here and letting him develop. We have the obligation to guide them first, to make them understand some behaviors that are very important, both defensive and offensive, regardless of the position they occupy. And this preparation takes time, a bit of repetition and training, just like what has been happening with Dieguinho, Jacaré and the others," analyzed the commander.

André Luiz's Numbers

André Luiz did not have very outstanding numbers in his professional debut, which is perfectly normal - after all, making a debut in a complicated game, at Maracanã, is not easy. The youngster had some good moments and showed that he has potential to be a good player.

According to data from the Sofascore platform, in 45 minutes played, the midfielder had 19 actions with the ball and completed 10 of 17 passes (59% accuracy). He won one of four ground duels and one of two air duels, suffered one foul and committed two.

Contract Renewed Until 2029

André Luiz recently renewed his contract with Corinthians until December 2029. The young midfielder extended his contract with the black and white club at the end of August.

At Corinthians since the age of ten, André went through all the club's youth categories. He was part of the Paulistão sub-17 victory in 2023, and the Copinha in 2024. The player's termination fine is R$ 112 million for the national market and 100 million euros (R$ 628.9 million) for the international market.

Standings Situation

With the result, Corinthians gained three positions in the Brazilian Championship table. Timão jumped to the ninth position and overtook Fluminense itself, reaching 29 points. The São Paulo team also reached the third game unbeaten in the competition, with two wins and a draw.

Upcoming Corinthians Matches

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.