Draw in Argentina leaves Corinthians with good Libertadores KO record | OneFootball

Corinthians came away from the first leg of the 2026 Copa Libertadores round of 16 without a disadvantage in the tie. On the night of last Thursday (13), Fernando Diniz’s team drew 0-0 with Rosario Central at the Gigante de Arroyito Stadium in Argentina, leaving the qualification to be decided at Neo Química Arena.

Besides keeping the knockout tie open, the result placed Timão in a scenario that has historically produced favorable numbers. Considering Libertadores knockout rounds in which Corinthians drew the first leg away from home, the club had recorded four qualifications and only one elimination before this season’s matchup.

Photos: Rodrigo Coca/Corinthians Agency

Thus, the draw against Rosario Central is the sixth occurrence of this kind in the club’s history in the competition. The outcome will be known in the return leg, scheduled for next Thursday (20) at 9:30 p.m. (Brasília time), in Itaquera.

Record after away draws

According to the Estatísticas Corinthianas portal, the first qualification in this scenario came in 1999. On that occasion, Corinthians drew 1-1 with Jorge Wilstermann in Bolivia before building a 5-2 win in the second match.

Three other cases occurred during the club’s unbeaten title run in 2012. In the round of 16, Timão drew 0-0 with Emelec in Ecuador and settled the tie with a 3-0 win in Brazil. In the quarterfinals, they repeated the goalless draw against Vasco away from home and advanced after a 1-0 win in the second leg.

In that edition’s final, Corinthians also started the tie away from home. The 1-1 draw with Boca Juniors at La Bombonera was followed by a 2-0 win at Pacaembu, a result that secured the club’s first Libertadores title.

The only elimination in this sample came in 2016. After a 0-0 draw against Nacional in Uruguay, Corinthians drew again in the second match, this time 2-2 at Neo Química Arena.

Check out Corinthians’ record after drawing the first leg away from home

Therefore, in the previous five knockout ties in which they drew the first leg away from home, Corinthians managed to advance in four, equivalent to an 80% qualification rate. The only exit came precisely because of a rule that no longer exists in the Libertadores.

Scenario is different after defeats

The draw in Rosario also avoided a historically more complicated situation for the club. When they lost the first leg away from home in Libertadores knockout rounds, Corinthians managed to qualify in only one of 11 occasions, according to a survey by the Estádio Total website.

Curiously, the only comeback came against Rosario Central themselves. In 2000, in the round of 16, Timão lost 3-2 in Argentina. In the second meeting, they returned the scoreline and took the decision to penalties, winning 4-3.

Even though they managed to win six of the 11 second-leg matches after starting the tie with an away defeat, Corinthians advanced only on that one occasion. Their qualification rate in this sample is 9.1%.

Now, however, Fernando Diniz’s team will not need to produce a comeback in Itaquera. After the goalless draw at Gigante de Arroyito, a win by any score against Rosario Central will send Corinthians into the Libertadores quarterfinals. If the second match also ends in a draw, the spot will be decided on penalties.

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