Carrillo starts back-to-back matches for the first time under Diniz | OneFootball

André Carrillo reached a new milestone under Fernando Diniz on the night of last Thursday (20). The midfielder was named in the starting lineup for Corinthians’ 1-0 win over Rosario Central of Argentina at Neo Química Arena, and started back-to-back matches for the first time since the coach arrived at the club.

Before the second leg of the Conmebol Libertadores round of 16, the Peruvian had started in the 2-1 loss to Cruzeiro last Sunday (16), also in Itaquera, in the 23rd round of the Brazilian Championship. On that occasion, he stayed on the pitch for 79 minutes before being replaced by Matheus Pereira.

Photo: Rodrigo Coca/Agência Corinthians

Against Rosario Central, Carrillo was once again chosen by Fernando Diniz to make up Corinthians’ midfield. Wearing the No. 19 shirt, he remained on the field until the 33rd minute of the second half, when he left the pitch for Alex Santana. Shortly afterward, in the 35th minute, Breno Bidon scored the only goal of the match and secured Corinthians’ qualification.

The run marks a change from what had been happening since Fernando Diniz’s arrival. Although he has been used frequently by the coach, Carrillo had not yet managed to start two consecutive matches. Before the games against Cruzeiro and Rosario Central, his opportunities as a starter under Diniz had come sporadically.

In the Brazilian Championship, the Peruvian had started the goalless draw against Vitória on April 18, the 3-2 win over São Paulo, and the 3-1 loss to Botafogo, both in May. He later returned to the starting XI in the 0-0 draw with Athletico-PR on July 30, and against Cruzeiro.

Even without consistently holding a spot in the starting lineup, Carrillo has been given opportunities throughout Diniz’s spell. In the coach’s previous 25 matches in charge of Corinthians, the player had failed to come on only four times.

The last time No. 19 had a run of two matches as a starter was under Dorival Júnior, back in January. On the 18th, Carrillo started the 1-1 draw against São Paulo at Neo Química Arena. Four days later, he also started the derby against Santos at Vila Belmiro, which ended with the same scoreline.

Now, more than seven months later, the Peruvian has once again put together two straight appearances in the starting lineup, this time on a night that ended with continental qualification. Corinthians beat Rosario Central 1-0, with a goal from Breno Bidon, and advanced to the Libertadores quarterfinals. In the next round, their opponent will be Estudiantes, also from Argentina.

Before turning their attention back to the continental tournament, the club from Parque São Jorge will have Brazilian Championship commitments. The next one will be this Sunday (23), at 7:30 p.m. Brasília time, against Coritiba at Couto Pereira Stadium, in the 24th round. Timão currently sit ninth in the table with 32 points, from eight wins, eight draws, and seven losses, as well as 25 goals scored and 22 conceded.

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