Memphis miss in Corinthians defeat makes European headlines | OneFootball

Corinthians’ elimination against Estudiantes-ARG in the Conmebol Libertadores quarterfinals went beyond the borders of Brazilian football. The penalty missed by Memphis Depay in stoppage time of the 1-0 defeat last Wednesday (16) was covered by several media outlets in the Netherlands and Spain this Thursday (17).

Wearing the No. 10 shirt, he had the chance at his feet to keep Timão alive in the competition. After Estudiantes opened the scoring late in the second half, Corinthians were awarded a penalty in stoppage time. Memphis stepped up to take it, but shot over the goal. Had he converted, the draw would have taken the tie to a penalty shootout.

Photo: Rodrigo Coca/Agência Corinthians

With the miss, the match ended 1-0 to the Argentinians. As the first leg in La Plata had ended 1-1, Estudiantes advanced to the semifinals with a 2-1 aggregate score.

The way the qualification was decided and Memphis’ central role in the final play made the episode resonate especially in the Netherlands, the striker’s home country.

Dutch press highlights Memphis’ night

Voetbalzone put the episode among its main headlines and described the moment experienced by the striker as “extremely dramatic.” The outlet also linked the missed penalty to Corinthians’ elimination and mentioned the team’s poor run of form.

Another Dutch outlet that gave extensive coverage to the play was Algemeen Dagblad (AD). The publication highlighted the backlash Memphis began facing after the attempt and used in its headline a statement calling the shot the “worst penalty in Corinthians history.”

De Telegraaf also treated the mistake as decisive to the outcome of the tie. The newspaper recalled that Memphis could have kept the battle for qualification alive, but instead left the pitch as one of the main figures in the elimination.

“Depay did not play the hero’s role he had hoped for. The Netherlands’ all-time top scorer had the chance, in stoppage time, to force extra time in the Libertadores quarterfinals. But things turned out very differently from what he expected,” the Dutch newspaper published.

The outlet also echoed the criticism made by Neto after the match. The former Corinthians player and current commentator described the No. 10’s missed attempt as the “worst penalty in the club’s history.”

The play also makes headlines in Spain

The reaction also reached Spain, where Memphis played for Barcelona and Atlético de Madrid before arriving in Brazilian football.

Diario AS published an article titled “‘Condemns’ Memphis Depay” and put the striker at the center of how the tie ended. The Spanish outlet stressed that the penalty was missed in the final minute and also mentioned the reactions from the stands after the play. In addressing the Dutchman’s current moment, the outlet used a critical tone to describe the phase he is going through at Corinthians.

“Memphis Depay is living on a constant roller coaster. And right now, he is hitting rock bottom. The Dutch striker was the protagonist in the Copa Libertadores match. A negative protagonist, since in the final minute of the game he missed a penalty that left his team, Corinthians, with no more hopes in the continental tournament,” wrote the Spanish daily.

Mundo Deportivo, from Barcelona, meanwhile, led with the missed penalty and Corinthians’ elimination in its headline. The newspaper highlighted that Estudiantes won 1-0 in São Paulo and drew attention to the opportunity Memphis wasted in the dying moments.

The publication also addressed Corinthians’ attacking struggles during the match. The Argentine goal came in the 42nd minute of the second half through Alexis Castro, and Timão had the chance to respond in stoppage time, but failed to convert the penalty.

Memphis reaches a third missed penalty for Corinthians

The attempt against Estudiantes was the third penalty missed by Memphis during his spell at Corinthians, considering kicks taken during regular play.

So far, the Dutchman has taken five penalties for the club in regular time and converted two, along with three misses. The No. 10’s conversion rate in this regard is therefore 40%.

Although the play accounted for much of the reaction after the elimination, Fernando Diniz came to the player’s defense during the press conference. The coach shared responsibility for the defeat across the squad and stressed the courage needed to step up for a penalty in stoppage time of a decisive match.

Corinthians now put the Libertadores behind them and turn their attention to the Brazilian Championship. Their next match is on Sunday (20), at 4 p.m. Brasília time, against Fluminense at Neo Química Arena in the 28th round. Memphis remains available for the match.

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