In-form keeper and good run, Barra-SC face Corinthians in Copa do Brasil | OneFootball

Corinthians return to the pitch this Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at Neo Química Arena to face Barra-SC in the second leg of the fifth round of the Copa do Brasil. The São Paulo side go into the matchup with the advantage after winning the first meeting 1-0 at Ressacada, thanks to a goal scored by Jesse Lingard.

Despite its short history, the Santa Catarina club is going through one of the most significant periods since its founding in 2013. With a packed schedule in 2026, Barra is competing simultaneously in national competitions and knockout tournaments, cementing its rapid rise in Brazilian football. To understand the team’s current moment before facing Corinthians again, it is worth looking at the recent path of the Balneário Camboriú side.

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Last season ended in historic fashion for Barra. In 2025, the team won the Brazilian Série D title by defeating Santa Cruz Futebol Clube in the final, prevailing 2-1 on aggregate. The trophy secured the club promotion to Série C and also an unprecedented spot in this year’s Copa do Brasil.

The momentum continued in 2026. Barra lifted another trophy by winning the Campeonato Catarinense after beating Associação Chapecoense de Futebol in the final with a 3-2 aggregate victory. In Brasileirão Série C, meanwhile, the campaign has been balanced: two wins, three draws, and just one defeat, a run that keeps the team in the middle of the table, currently in ninth place.

In the Copa do Brasil, the Santa Catarina club showed efficiency mainly in penalty shootouts. As the 2025 national champion, it entered directly in the third round and eliminated América Futebol Clube and Volta Redonda Futebol Clube after two ties that ended goalless in regular time. Corinthians, however, were the first opponent to beat Barra in this edition of the tournament, in the first leg.

The team also recently went through a change in the technical staff. Bernardo Franco took over on March 23, replacing Eduardo Souza, who left the club to work at Atlético Clube Goianiense. Since arriving, the coach has recorded one win, three draws, and two defeats.

Despite the setback against Corinthians, Barra bounced back as the season went on. The team beat Figueirense Futebol Clube 3-0 and also drew 2-2 with Associação Atlética Internacional and 0-0 with Sociedade Esportiva e Recreativa Caxias do Sul, all matches valid for Série C.

Among the main names in the squad is goalkeeper Ewerton. The shot-stopper recently reached the mark of 100 appearances for Barra in the match against Caxias and has accumulated 40 clean sheets wearing the club’s shirt. Besides his defensive consistency, the player has also stood out in penalty kicks.

In 2026, Ewerton has already saved four penalties, matching Hugo Souza’s numbers at Corinthians. According to ge.globo, one of those saves came in the Campeonato Catarinense against Avaí Futebol Clube, while the others happened in the Copa do Brasil—one against América-MG and two against Volta Redonda. The performance stands out because if Barra beat Corinthians by a one-goal margin tonight, the qualification will be decided precisely on penalties.

For the decisive clash, coach Bernardo Franco will not be able to count on midfielder Elvinho, who has remained sidelined since the Campeonato Catarinense final. According to ge.globo, Barra’s likely lineup is: Ewerton; Fábio, Jean Pierre, Alemão and Da Rocha; Tetê, Henrique and Matheus Barbosa; Marcelinho, Vinícius Popó (Bernabé) and Gabriel Silva.

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