Corinthians wasteful but win crucial clash, breathe in Brasileiro | OneFootball

By Thais Bueno

Corinthians once again struggled with efficiency but managed an important victory in the direct clash against Atlético-MG this Saturday at the Neo Química Arena. The Timão could have achieved a more substantial score given the chances created but squandered opportunities, securing a 1-0 win and breathing easier in the fight against relegation.

The Alvinegro started the match with news that delighted the fans: Garro, Memphis, and Yuri Alberto were in the starting lineup. The defense, however, was modified due to absences, with Tchoca and Cacá. The Timão began with ball possession, but it was heavily concentrated in the defensive sector, and the team couldn't create many dangerous situations in the opening minutes.

The Alvinegro attack also struggled to get into the game. The match was very stalled in the midfield, with many fouls from both teams and an extremely fragmented game. In the few fast breaks, the home team also failed to capitalize, making mistakes in the final pass and taking wrong decisions.

At certain moments in the game, Garro seemed to play a bit deeper, helping with Corinthians' ball transition. From this, the Timão created its best chance in the game. Memphis found Bidu, who crossed to Maycon. The Alvinegro midfielder, however, mishit the ball and shot over the goal.

From the 35th minute, Corinthians improved on the field. The Alvinegro attack seemed to reconnect, with Yuri Alberto exploiting spaces with speed. However, the team continued to struggle with effectiveness: missing two clear chances with Maycon and Yuri. It's also worth noting the Timão's defense, which suffered little in the first half and performed well when called upon.

In summary, Corinthians was better than Atlético-MG in the first half but couldn't turn the good football displayed into results, either due to poor decisions in the final pass or missed clear chances. The Galo, on the other hand, barely threatened the Corinthians team.

The second half, in turn, started at full speed at the Neo Química Arena. Corinthians created a clear chance missed by Yuri Alberto, while Galo threatened with a header from Vitor Hugo hitting the crossbar. But it was Maycon who opened the scoring for Timão with a beautiful shot from outside the area, rewarding the team that had been better in the match.

Corinthians began to find more spaces after the goal, as Galo needed to push forward to try to at least equalize. The Alvinegro defense, on the other hand, showed itself to be very secure, clearing the main attempts from the Minas Gerais team. Even as reserves, the Timão's pair of defenders performed well.

Atlético-MG tried to make changes, but Corinthians managed to maintain control of the game in the final minutes, securing a crucial result to gain an advantage in the relegation zone. Despite not playing a brilliant game, coach Dorival Júnior's team deserved the victory against a lackluster Galo.

Now, the São Paulo Alvinegro hopes for a victory from rival Santos over Vitória, to try to firmly establish itself as one of the teams no longer fighting against relegation. The two teams face each other this Monday at 9:30 PM (Brasília time) at Vila Belmiro.

Corinthians' Standings Situation

With the result, Corinthians responded to the Faithful Fans and returned to winning ways after the bitter defeat in the derby against Santos. The Timão gained relief and opened up a gap from the relegation zone, reaching the 12th position, with 36 points – eight points ahead of Vitória, which opens the Z4 and still plays in the round.

Upcoming Corinthians Matches

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