Corinthians ready for Cruzeiro in Copa do Brasil, Matheuzinho upbeat

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Central do Timão

·9 December 2025

Corinthians ready for Cruzeiro in Copa do Brasil, Matheuzinho upbeat

By Henrique Pereira / Central do Timão Editorial Team

Corinthians is ready to face another decisive chapter of the season. At 9:30 PM (Brasília time) this Wednesday (10), the Alvinegro Paulista will play against Cruzeiro at the Mineirão Stadium in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, for the first leg of the Copa do Brasil semifinal.

Preparation for the match was completed on the morning of this Tuesday (09) at the Dr. Joaquim Grava Training Center. The squad started the day with strength activities in the gym and then carried out two tactical drills led by coach Dorival Júnior. The coach used the session to test the starting lineup and adjust strategic details. Set pieces, a traditional point of focus in knockout stages, were also intensely practiced.

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Photo: Rodrigo Coca/Ag. Corinthians

Undefeated and without conceding goals in the competition, Corinthians reaches the semifinal with an impeccable record: six wins in six matches, with eight goals scored. Despite the solid performance, right-back Matheuzinho emphasized that the team will need to raise their level even more to face Cruzeiro in front of their fans.

“It will be a very difficult game. Cruzeiro had a good campaign in the Brazilian Championship, but we studied well the strategy that the coach passed on to us. We will play on equal terms. We want to win and advance from this semifinal,” said the player.

For Matheuzinho, the match promises to be marked by balance and attention to detail: “It will be a well-contested game, one of intelligence. We need to be very assertive in our decisions. Whoever makes fewer mistakes wins. We cannot lack attention. A mistake can be very costly. We are very focused on being 100% assertive.”

The match at Mineirão opens the contest for a spot in the Copa do Brasil final. The return match between the clubs takes place at the Neo Química Arena, home of Timão, next Sunday (14) at 6:00 PM (Brasília time).

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