Memphis meets rival he scored his only 2026 Corinthians goal against | OneFootball

Corinthians face Santos this Sunday afternoon at 4 p.m. at Neo Química Arena, in a match valid for the 25th round of the Brazilian Championship. The clash could bring an important development: Memphis Depay may start among the first-choice lineup for the first time since renewing his contract with the club.

A possible return to the starting team would put the forward once again up against a special opponent in his journey with Timão. It was precisely against Santos that the Dutchman scored his only goal in 2026, considering matches played for Corinthians as well as for the Netherlands national team.

Photo: Rodrigo Coca/Agência Corinthians

The goal came on March 15 at Vila Belmiro. Memphis found the net to open the scoring for Corinthians, but Santos fought back for a 1-1 draw in the match corresponding to the sixth round of the Brasileirão.

Besides the goal scored against Peixe this season, Memphis has also made his mark in two other derbies since arriving in Brazilian football. The first came on July 30, 2025, when the No. 10 was decisive in the first leg of the Copa do Brasil round of 16 derby. On that occasion, he scored the winning goal in a 1-0 victory over Palmeiras in Itaquera.

The other goal in derbies came against São Paulo. On November 20, in the Brazilian Championship, Memphis scored Corinthians’ third goal in a 3-1 win over their rival, once again at Neo Química Arena.

With these results, the Dutchman joined a very select list in Corinthians history. Memphis is one of only 21 players who have managed to score against the club’s three main rivals: Santos, Palmeiras, and São Paulo.

If he finds the net again this Sunday, in addition to extending that personal milestone, Memphis could directly contribute to a Timão resurgence in the Brasileirão. Corinthians begin the round in 10th place with 32 points, seven behind the G5, the zone that guarantees qualification for the 2027 Copa Libertadores. A win in the Clássico Alvinegro would take the team to 35 points and keep alive the goal of moving closer to the top spots in the competition.

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