Corinthians end five-game wait for clean sheet, Brabas go ahead in quarters | OneFootball

Corinthians once again showed defensive strength at a decisive moment in the season. On Monday night (31), the Brabas beat Cruzeiro 1-0 at Arena Independência in the first leg of the Brazilian Women’s Championship quarterfinals, ending a run of five straight matches in which they had conceded goals.

In addition to the advantage gained in the race for a semifinal spot, the result marked the team’s return to a scenario that had been common throughout the season: finishing a match without conceding.

Photo: Rodrigo Gazzanel/Agência Corinthians

The last time that had happened was on August 3, when Corinthians beat Flamengo 1-0, still during the Brasileirão qualifying stage. After that match, the team conceded goals in every following fixture, allowing eight goals in five matches.

During that stretch, the defense was breached in matches against Santos, Mirassol, Bahia, Internacional, and Taubaté, in games valid for the Brazilian Women’s Championship and the Women’s Paulista Championship.

Corinthians reach their 12th clean sheet of 2026

The win over Cruzeiro marked the 12th match of the season in which the Brabas kept a clean sheet. Since head coach Emily Lima arrived at the end of February, it was the team’s 10th clean sheet.

The other two matches without conceding came before the coaching change. Still under Lucas Piccinato, Corinthians kept clean sheets against Gotham FC in the FIFA Champions Cup and Atlético-MG in their Brazilian Women’s Championship opener.

Defensive consistency has been one of the team’s trademarks throughout 2026 and showed up again right at the start of the national knockout stage.

Advantage for the decisive clash With the win in Belo Horizonte, Corinthians will enter the second leg needing only a draw to secure a place in the Brazilian Women’s Championship semifinals. If Cruzeiro win by one goal, the spot will be decided in a penalty shootout. Any win for the Brabas or a draw sends the black-and-white side through directly.

The decisive match is scheduled for next Monday, September 7, at 5 p.m. (Brasília time). The stadium that will host the match has not yet been confirmed by Corinthians.

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