Matheuzinho praises Corinthians display, targets Libertadores | OneFootball

Corinthians visited Red Bull Bragantino on Sunday night (9) at Estádio Cícero de Souza Marques, in Atibaia, in the countryside of São Paulo, and secured an important win in the Brazilian Championship. In a match valid for the 22nd round, Timão won 2-0, with goals from Rodrigo Garro and Pedro Raul.

The result took Corinthians to 32 points and seventh place in the Brasileirão standings. So far, Alvinegro has recorded eight wins, eight draws, and six losses, with 24 goals scored and 20 conceded.

Photos: Rodrigo Coca/Agência Corinthians

One of the standout performers in the win was Matheuzinho. According to Sofascore data, the right-back received an 8.1 rating, the highest of the match. Wearing the No. 2 shirt, he provided the assist for Pedro Raul’s goal, created one big chance, and delivered two key passes. In addition, he completed 24 of his 26 attempted passes, reaching a 92% success rate, and contributed defensively with three tackles and eight defensive actions.

After the match, Matheuzinho spoke in the mixed zone and assessed Corinthians’ performance. The full-back highlighted the team’s focus, which resulted in a clean sheet, and emphasized the importance of the display on the eve of the start of the Conmebol Libertadores knockout stage.

“It’s very important, especially in a week that is very important for us, which is Libertadores week. And, as the coach said there in the dressing room, it was a game in which we had a very high level of concentration, and he said it may have been one of the best games we’ve played under him, in terms of commitment and also tactically. So we’re very happy that we’re finding a path that can help us reach the end of the year with our goals achieved. So I’m happy for the team, because we’re on the right path, and I hope we keep going.”

The player was also asked about the tactical setup used by Corinthians. In recent matches, Fernando Diniz has opted for a formation with two lines of four, and Matheuzinho left any possible change in system in the coach’s hands.

“I think that’s more… I’ll leave that to the coach. He’s the one who leads us day to day, he’s the one who studies a lot off the pitch so he can give us the best organization on the pitch. So I think I’ll leave that to him. Of course, we have to be prepared for any system he decides on, because we have to adapt. So I think this formation is working, we’re doing well, and I hope we can keep it up.”

Matheuzinho celebrates Pedro Raul’s good form

In addition to his individual display, Matheuzinho was directly involved in Corinthians’ second goal. The full-back provided the assist for Pedro Raul, who found the net for the second consecutive match. The center-forward had also scored in the 2-1 win over Internacional in the Copa do Brasil.

In the mixed zone, Matheuzinho highlighted the squad’s support for the No. 9 and said he tries to keep his teammate’s confidence high during training.

“That showed what we’re like every day. We’re a family, where one person’s individual joy is everyone’s joy. We know the difficulty he had been going through this year, being a No. 9 and not being able to score. Two matches, two goals. So we’re very happy. And I’m sure that goal of his is ours too, because it was something built together. And I’m particularly very happy, because I’m someone who always tries to keep his self-esteem high, always supporting him day to day. And I’m happy to be able to help him score again. And I hope he keeps helping us for the rest of the season.”

Libertadores as the main objective

After their Brazilian Championship match, Corinthians now face a key clash in the continental competition. On Thursday (13), the team begins its Libertadores round-of-16 tie against Rosario Central in Argentina.

When commenting on the squad’s ambitions for the tournament, Matheuzinho described the Libertadores as Corinthians’ main objective this season. The full-back also stressed the need to avoid mistakes in knockout ties.

“I think it’s been said a few times already, I don’t know if only by me, but the Libertadores is our biggest focus this year. We know our quality and how far we can go. We know it’s a very tricky competition, where one slip-up can change everything in the rest of the tournament. We’re ready, we’re ready for Thursday. I hope we get there and play the best match possible so that we can bring back a very important result for us here to São Paulo. And, as I said, I think it’s the biggest competition on our continent, it’s our biggest objective. We know it’s difficult, but we know our quality and how far we can go.”

After beating Red Bull Bragantino in the Brazilian Championship, Corinthians now turn their attention to the Conmebol Libertadores. Next Thursday (13), Timão visit Rosario Central of Argentina at the Gigante de Arroyito for the first leg of the round of 16 in the continental competition.

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