Corinthians dip without Yuri Alberto, issue up front | OneFootball

Corinthians sees a considerable drop in performance when it has to play without Yuri Alberto. The numbers from the 2026 season show that the team gets less out of its matches in the striker’s absence, who is also missed in another respect: the squad’s difficulty in finding a player capable of serving as the attacking reference point.

With Yuri Alberto on the field, Timão played 32 matches, earning 14 wins, ten draws, and eight losses. Their success rate in that span reaches 59.4%. When the forward did not feature, there were 16 matches. The team won six, drew four, and lost another six, achieving only a 43.8% success rate.

Photo: Rodrigo Coca/Agência Corinthians

The difference can also be seen in the number of goals scored. Corinthians found the net 35 times in games in which they had Yuri Alberto, while they scored only 17 goals in matches in which the striker was absent.

Curiously, finishing efficiency does not show a significant difference. The team needs approximately 12 shots to score when Yuri is on the field, a number that drops slightly to 11.9 in matches without the center forward.

Yuri Alberto’s absence increases the responsibility on Pedro Raul and Gui Negão, the squad’s main alternatives for filling the role of the most advanced attacker.

Pedro Raul earned more opportunities precisely after Yuri’s absence. Since August 2, the center forward has taken the field eight times, being chosen as a starter on six occasions. During that period, he scored two goals.

The striker averages 250 minutes to be directly involved in a goal and records an average of 1.5 shots per match, with 0.9 of them on target.

Pedro Raul also averages 0.5 key passes per game. Of the three big chances he received, he converted one, reaching a 33% conversion rate in that category.

To score, the center forward needed six shots. In duels, he posted 35% efficiency and suffered an average of 0.5 fouls per match. His average rating recorded by SofaScore is 6.59.

Gui Negão had less involvement during that period. The youngster played four matches since then and started only once, totaling 124 minutes on the field.

His average is 0.5 shots per game, with no attempts on target. The striker, on the other hand, averages 0.8 key passes per match. In the only big chance he had, he failed to turn the opportunity into a goal. In duels, Gui Negão posts 37% efficiency and suffers 0.2 fouls per match. His average SofaScore rating is 6.48.

The difficulty in finding a direct replacement for Yuri Alberto became especially clear in the derby against Santos. With the center forward out, Fernando Diniz decided not to rely on Pedro Raul or Gui Negão as the attacking focal point.

The coach preferred to push Memphis Depay forward and set up the attack without a natural center forward. Kaio César and Dieguinho occupied the flanks, while the Dutchman began to play closer to the penalty area.

The strategy shows that Diniz is still looking for an alternative capable of filling the gap left by Yuri Alberto while at the same time keeping Corinthians’ attack productive.

Corinthians’ initial expectation was to have Yuri Alberto available for the derby against Santos, played on Sunday (30) at Neo Química Arena in the Brazilian Championship. The plan changed after the striker felt physical discomfort during one of the final training sessions before the match. The player underwent tests to determine the severity of the problem and ultimately was left out of the squad for the derby.

Yuri also did not take part in the activities carried out by the squad on Monday (1) and Tuesday (2). The center forward remains in recovery and has not yet returned to normal training with his teammates.

At this moment, the striker’s presence in Corinthians’ next match is still uncertain. Timão face Chapecoense on Sunday (6), again in the Brasileirão, but the coaching staff are still awaiting the player’s physical progress before deciding whether he will be included in the squad.

The tendency is for Yuri Alberto to be evaluated daily until the match. If he is not fit to play, Fernando Diniz will once again need to find a solution for the attack.

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