Corinthians seek first away win in the LNF to reach the last 16 | OneFootball

Corinthians will have a decisive mission this Saturday to stay alive in the National Futsal League (LNF). Timão faces Pato at 5 p.m. at Arena Cláudio Petrycoski, in Paraná, in the second leg of the playoffs. To advance to the round of 16 without relying on extra time, the team led by Fernando Malafaia needs to secure its first away win in the current edition of the competition.

The matchup reaches its second chapter after a 1-1 draw in the first leg, played last Monday at Wlamir Marques Gymnasium. Maicon opened the scoring for the Paraná side, while Rick equalized for Corinthians.

Photo: Beto Miller/Ag. Corinthians

Having had a better campaign in the first phase, Pato holds an important advantage in the event of another draw. If the score remains level in regular time, qualification will be decided in extra time, in which the Paraná team will have the advantage of advancing with a draw.

Therefore, any Corinthians win in regular time guarantees qualification. On the other hand, a loss, whether in regular time or extra time, will end the black-and-white side’s run in the competition.

The search for a result carries even more weight given the performances Timão has shown away from Wlamir Marques. In 16 matches played in the LNF this season, Corinthians recorded four wins, four draws, and eight defeats. All of the victories came at home.

In the first phase, the away record was especially difficult. Corinthians lost all six matches it played on the road, beginning with a 4-1 defeat to Joinville on March 28 in the competition opener.

After that, Timão was also beaten by Carlos Barbosa, 3-2; Jaraguá, by the same score; Atlântico Erechim, 3-0; Campo Mourão, 3-2; and Umuarama, 1-0.

The only points Corinthians picked up away from home in the first phase came in draws against São José, 2-2, and Marreco, 1-1.

The away form is different when considering the other competitions Corinthians have played in 2026.

In the Copa LNF, for example, the team had a 50% record away from home. In the first phase, Timão thrashed Vasco da Gama 5-1 at Maracanãzinho. In the next round, however, it was eliminated by São Lourenço after losing 4-1 in Santa Catarina.

The scenario is even more favorable in the Paulista Championship. In seven away matches, Corinthians won four times, drew twice, and lost only once, achieving a 66.7% record.

The state-level wins came against Pulo Futsal, 4-0; MX7 Diadema, 3-2; Botucatu, 4-1; and Guarulhense, 5-0.

In addition to those victories, Corinthians drew 1-1 with Santo André and Liga Sancaetanense. The only setback came against Magnus in Sorocaba, by 3-1.

The inconsistent LNF campaign comes amid a period of changes in the Corinthians futsal squad. After the 2025 season, seven players left the futsal department amid the cost-cutting policy adopted by Osmar Stabile’s administration.

To rebuild the squad, Corinthians announced only three signings for 2026: winger Oitomeia, pivot Fabinho, and Kevin William. The latter, however, remained at the club for about three months before leaving the team.

With a squad made up largely of players developed in the youth ranks, the team coached by Fernando Malafaia has shown moments of instability throughout the season.

In the first phase of the LNF, Corinthians finished in 11th place, with four wins, four draws, and seven defeats. Pato, its playoff opponent, performed better and ended that stage in sixth place, with seven wins, three draws, and five defeats.

Whoever comes out on top in the clash between Corinthians and Pato will face Magnus in the round of 16. The Sorocaba team finished the first phase in second place overall.

Corinthians is trying to reach its third title in the history of the National Futsal League. The club was champion in 2016 and again in 2022. Last season, Timão reached the final again, but ended up losing to Jaraguá and finished the competition as runner-up.

Now, the black-and-white team needs to break its negative away record in the LNF to remain in the race for the trophy.

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