Corinthians v São Paulo: what’s at stake in the Majestoso clash | OneFootball

Corinthians and São Paulo face each other this Thursday in a direct clash for a spot in the Libertadores 2026. The Majestoso is scheduled for 7:30 pm (Brasília time), at Neo Química Arena, for the 34th round of the Campeonato Brasileiro.

The derby means a lot for both teams, who need a win to get back into the fight for qualification to the continental tournament, even if it’s just for the preliminary phase.

São Paulo occupies ninth place on the table, with 45 points. The team is six points behind Fluminense, who are seventh in Serie A. Corinthians, meanwhile, are in 13th place, but only three points behind Tricolor. Timão will only overtake their rival if they win by a margin of five or more goals.

G6 becomes G7

It’s worth remembering that it’s not just the top six who will earn a spot in the 2026 Libertadores. The G6 has become G7, since Palmeiras and Flamengo, the leader and runner-up of the Brasileirão, respectively, are contesting this year’s continental final.

Thus, with one of them inevitably becoming champion and securing a place in the next edition, another spot has opened up via the league competition.

São Paulo defends unbeaten run

São Paulo also takes the field defending an unbeaten streak in the Majestoso. In Campeonato Brasileiro matches, Tricolor has not lost to rivals Corinthians for almost five years and boasts a recent record as a trump card for the derby.

The last time São Paulo lost to Corinthians in Serie A was on December 13, 2020. On that occasion, the teams were playing the 25th round of the tournament, postponed due to the pandemic. The match ended 1-0 for Alvinegro at Neo Química Arena, with a goal by Otero.

Since then, there have been nine Majestosos played, with four wins for São Paulo and five draws. In this period, Tricolor scored 13 goals and conceded only seven.

(Photo: Paulo Pinto/São Paulo)

Moreover, São Paulo also holds an unbeaten run of seven matches against Corinthians across all competitions. Timão’s last win came back in 2023, in the first leg of the Copa do Brasil semifinals. However, it was São Paulo who advanced, overturning the aggregate score and sealing the edition with a historic title over Flamengo.

Corinthians seeks a comeback

Corinthians, meanwhile, is looking for a comeback after having its rise halted. Dorival Júnior’s team had won three consecutive matches, but then lost in a row to Red Bull Bragantino and Ceará, leaving them stuck in the middle of the Campeonato Brasileiro table.

Timão’s goal is to achieve the highest possible points tally in the tournament to arrive with high morale for the semifinals of the Copa do Brasil, against Cruzeiro, on December 10 and 14.

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