Defenders score as Corinthians beat RB Bragantino for first win

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Central do Timão

·13 February 2026

Defenders score as Corinthians beat RB Bragantino for first win

By Fabio Luigi / Central do Timão Editorial Team

On the night of Thursday (12), Corinthians faced Red Bull Bragantino at the Neo Química Arena in a match valid for the third round of the Brazilian Championship and won by a score of 2 x 0. The goals for the Alvinegro were scored by defender Gabriel Paulista and left-back Matheus Bidu. With this result, the Corinthians team achieved their first victory in the tournament and rose to 12th place with three points in two games.

The Corinthians technical team had the following absences for the match: left-back Hugo Farias (knee surgery, out for four to six months), midfielders José Martínez (knee ligament injury and negotiating termination) and André (left ankle ligament injury), as well as midfielder Breno Bidon (right hamstring strain) and forward Kaio César (recovering from a muscle injury).

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Photo: Rodrigo Coca/Agência Corinthians

Thus, coach Dorival Júnior fielded the following starters: Hugo Souza; Matheuzinho, Gabriel Paulista, Gustavo Henrique, and Matheus Bidu; Raniele, André Carrillo (Charles), Matheus Pereira (Allan), and Rodrigo Garro (Vitinho); Memphis Depay (Kayke) and Yuri Alberto (Gui Negão). The bench options were: Felipe Longo, João Pedro Tchoca, André Ramalho, Cacá, Pedro Milans, Charles, Allan, Dieguinho, Vitinho, Kayke, Gui Negão, and Pedro Raul.

Red Bull Bragantino Line-up

Coach Vagner Mancini fielded: Cleiton; Andres Hurtado, Pedro Henrique, Gustavo Marques, and Juninho Capixaba; Gabriel, Fabinho, and Gustavo Neves; Lucas Barbosa, Henry Mosquera, and Isidro Pitta.

The substitutes were: Thiago Volpi, Eduardo, Eric Ramires, Fernando, Nacho Sosa, Vinicinho, Augustín Sant´Anna, Davi Gomes, Yuri Teles, Herrera, Cauê, and Marcelinho.

Refereeing

The referee was Felipe Fernandes de Lima (MG), assisted by Fabrini Beviláqua Costa (SP) and Joverton Wesley De Souza Lima (RO). The fourth official and VAR were, respectively, Bruno Pereira Vasconcelos (BA) and Rafael Traci (SC).

Next Commitment

After facing Red Bull Bragantino in Itaquera for the third round of the Brasileirão, Corinthians turns its focus to the Paulista Championship. Next Sunday (15), at 8:30 PM (Brasília time), the Alvinegro will visit São Bernardo FC at the Primeiro de Maio Stadium, ABC Paulista, for the eighth and final round of the first phase of the Paulistão. The Corinthians team is not yet guaranteed a spot in the knockout stage and needs at least a draw to advance.

First Half

The first minutes of the match between Corinthians and Red Bull Bragantino were marked by greater ball possession by the Corinthians team. The Massa Bruta, in turn, pressed the Alvinegro's ball exit. In the ball exit, midfielder Reniele dropped between defenders Gabriel Paulista and Gustavo Henrique – as usual since coach Dorival Júnior's arrival – to assist in play construction.

At two minutes, the opponent took a free kick from the right side of the midfield and left-back Matheus Bidu cleared the danger. Three minutes later, Matheuzinho received the ball on the right wing and crossed it tightly into the area. Matheus Bidu headed it back, and the Massa Bruta defense cleared it for a corner. In the rehearsed play, Memphis Depay passed to Matheus Pereira, who shot over the goal.

At seven minutes, Pitta beat Matheus Bidu on the wing and passed to midfielder Gabriel, who shot from the edge of the area, forcing goalkeeper Hugo Souza to palm it away! On the corner kick, Gabriel Paulista cleared. Shortly after, in another set-piece play, left-back Juninho Capixaba headed the ball alone in the middle of the area, but it went wide.

With just over 10 minutes of play, RB Bragantino was slightly superior in the match, complicating Corinthians' ball exit and hovering around the Corinthians' defensive field, posing a threat with crosses into the area. A minute later, midfielder Lucas Barbosa received the ball on the right wing, cut inside, and shot firmly at the middle of the goal; Hugo Souza palmed it away.

At 15 minutes, Corinthians stole the ball from RB Bragantino in their defensive field, and Memphis Depay was activated. The number 10 sprinted through the midfield and passed to forward Yuri Alberto on the left side, but he was dispossessed by Pedro Henrique as he pushed the ball too far ahead. Shortly after, number 9 was launched by Rodrigo Garro, went one-on-one with Cleiton but chose to pass to Memphis, but the opposing defense cleared it with Gustavo Marques. However, the play was annulled for offside on Yuri at the start of the move.

With almost half of the first half gone, Corinthians used deep passes to Yuri Alberto and Memphis Depay behind the opponent's defense as an escape valve from RB Bragantino's pressure, in addition to offensive play with full-backs Matheuzinho and Matheus Bidu. However, the Alvinegro had not yet posed a threat to Cleiton.

At 25 minutes, the match was more balanced after a slight superiority by Red Bull Bragantino, with Corinthians posing a threat mainly on the right side of the attack, behind Juninho Capixaba. Four minutes later, Rodrigo Garro tried to pass to Yuri Alberto behind Gustavo Marques, but the defender intercepted the pass, and Cleiton cleared it forward.

At 34 minutes, midfielder Matheus Pereira made a mistake in the ball exit, and Henry Mosquera made an individual play on the right and shot from outside the area into the hands of goalkeeper Hugo Souza. As the first half neared its end, the match between the two teams remained balanced and well-contested, but without any clear goal-scoring chances for either side.

Six minutes later, Yuri Alberto was activated in depth on the left behind the Massa Bruta defense, sprinted towards the byline, and shot at goalkeeper Cleiton, who saved it in two attempts. Subsequently, RB Bragantino had a free kick near the edge of the area, and Juninho Capixaba shot wide.

When the clock hit 45 minutes, the refereeing added five minutes. In the final half of the first half, André Carrillo began to play the role of the first midfielder. At 48 minutes, Rodrigo Garro took a free kick from the midfield, suffered by Matheus Bidu, and defender Gustavo Henrique headed over Cleiton's goal.

At 51, end of the first half: Corinthians 0 x 0 RB Bragantino. The first 45 minutes were balanced and without many opportunities for both sides, although Massa Bruta started the final stage with slight superiority. The Alvinegro later balanced the game mainly with counterattacks involving Yuri Alberto.

Second Half

To start the second half, coach Dorival Júnior made no changes. The first minutes of the final stage between Corinthians and RB Bragantino saw the Alvinegro launching into the attack right away. With one minute into the second half, the first goal for Corinthians! After a corner kick by Rodrigo Garro from the right, number 3, Gabriel Paulista, rose among the opponents at the near post and headed it into Cleiton's net! Score: Corinthians 1 x 0 RB Bragantino.

After opening the score, Corinthians maintained control of the match and dominated the offensive actions, inhibiting the opponent's offensive play. At five minutes, right-back Matheuzinho received the ball on the byline and crossed it tightly, with danger, for Cleiton to save with his feet. In the next play, André Carrillo shot from outside the area, close to Cleiton's goal.

At 11 minutes of the final stage, Lucas Barbosa received the ball on the byline and rolled it back. Pitta, alone at the edge of the area, shot, and the ball hit Gustavo Henrique's arm, which was close to his body, but the penalty was still awarded. On Pitta's penalty, Hugo Souza dove to his right and saved!

With 17 minutes of the final stage, the Parque São Jorge club, even after a brief pressure from Red Bull Bragantino, maintained control of the match. In the next minute, Matheus Bidu was activated in depth on the left and crossed low towards Yuri Alberto, but goalkeeper Cleiton anticipated and left the goal.

RB Bragantino began to push forward more, and Corinthians, in turn, started to explore counterattacks more, especially playing down the flanks. At 23 minutes of the final stage, the first two changes for the Alvinegro: midfielders Allan and Charles replaced André Carrillo and Matheus Pereira, respectively.

In his first play, midfielder Allan activated Yuri Alberto in depth, and number 9 had his shot blocked by defender Pedro Henrique. On the corner kick, the Alvinegro surrounded the opponent's area, but the play did not have a final definition. At 27 minutes, the Parque São Jorge club launched a counterattack with Yuri Alberto in the midfield. Number 9 passed to Memphis Depay on the left, who passed to Garro on the right, but number 8 missed the final definition.

At 28 minutes, the second goal for Corinthians! Allan stole the ball at the start of the play, Rodrigo Garro received it in the midfield and passed to Yuri Alberto, number 9 took it to his left foot at the edge of the area, and Cleiton saved. On the rebound, Matheus Bidu smashed it into the net! Score: Corinthians 2 x 0 Red Bull Bragantino.

Two minutes later, Memphis Depay took a free kick from the right midfield, and the ball traveled to the far post towards midfielder Raniele, who headed it close to the post! With almost 40 minutes of the second half, the Alvinegro held back RB Bragantino's momentum, which, compared to the first half, posed little threat to goalkeeper Hugo Souza's goal.

Shortly after, two more changes for Corinthians: forward Memphis Depay and midfielder Rodrigo Garro left the field for the entries of winger Kayke and midfielder Vitinho. At 42 minutes, the Massa Bruta took a free kick from the left midfield, and Hugo Souza left the goal, without any scares, to claim the ball. Two minutes later, Yuri Alberto left the field for Gui Negão, being the last change for the Corinthians team.

When the clock hit 45 minutes, eight minutes were added. At 47 minutes, Vinicinho made an individual play on the right, cut inside, and crossed dangerously into the area, but the Corinthians defense cleared it! Two minutes later, Vitinho received the ball in front and tried to chip it over Cleiton, but Gabriel interfered, and the shot came out weak, allowing the goalkeeper to save.

Subsequently, a free kick was awarded at the edge of the area, and on the kick, Vitinho shot close to Cleiton's left angle! At 53 minutes, end of the game: Corinthians 2 x 0 RB Bragantino!

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