RB Bragantino face Corinthians in the top six, with three ex-Timão men | OneFootball

Corinthians visit Red Bull Bragantino this Sunday (9) at 6:30 p.m. (Brasília time) at Estádio Cícero de Souza Marques, in Bragança Paulista, for the 22nd round of the Brazilian Championship. Separated by just two points in the standings, the clubs take the field in a direct clash near the top of the table.

The black-and-white side’s opponent starts the round in sixth place, with 31 points from 20 matches. So far, Red Bull Bragantino have recorded nine wins, four draws, and seven losses, along with 26 goals scored and 20 conceded, maintaining a positive goal difference of six.

Photo: Ari Ferreira/Red Bull Bragantino

Corinthians are right below them in the race, sitting in ninth place with 29 points from 21 games. That means a black-and-white victory in Bragança Paulista would see Fernando Diniz’s team overtake Red Bull Bragantino in the standings.

Red Bull Bragantino’s current form

The team coached by Vagner Mancini are splitting their attention between the Brazilian Championship and the Copa Sudamericana. In their most recent matches, Massa Bruta beat Sporting Cristal 1-0 in the continental competition and drew 0-0 with Coritiba in the Brasileirão.

Before that, Red Bull Bragantino had also drawn 0-0 with Sporting Cristal away from home in the Sudamericana and tied 1-1 with Fluminense in the Brazilian Championship. One of the team’s standout names this season is Isidro Pitta. The striker has nine goals and is Red Bull Bragantino’s top scorer in 2026.

Probable Red Bull Bragantino lineup

Vagner Mancini will have at least one confirmed absence against Corinthians. Center-back Gustavo Marques is suspended after picking up his third yellow card.

As a result, a probable Red Bull Bragantino lineup is: Cleiton; Sant’Anna, Alix Vinícius, Pedro Henrique and Juninho Capixaba; Matheus Fernandes, Rodriguinho and Lucas Barbosa; Herrera, Henry Mosquera and Eduardo Sasha.

The coach will also have to manage the team’s busy schedule, as Red Bull Bragantino face Atlético-MG next Wednesday (12) in the Copa Sudamericana.

Former-club factor present in the matchup

Red Bull Bragantino’s squad includes three players who have already played for Corinthians: Pedro Henrique, Juninho Capixaba, and Gabriel Girotto.

Among them, Pedro Henrique had the longest spell at the club before leaving Parque São Jorge. A product of Corinthians’ youth academy, the center-back played 103 matches for the club, 94 of them as a starter. During his time there, he recorded 48 wins, 28 draws, and 27 losses.

Pedro Henrique also scored four goals, provided two assists, and won four titles with the club: the 2017 Brazilian Championship and the 2017, 2018, and 2019 Paulista Championships. His last match in a Corinthians shirt came in March 2020. He was later sold permanently to Athletico-PR.

Juninho Capixaba had a shorter spell at Parque São Jorge. Signed in 2018, the left-back played 11 matches, nine of them as a starter, and registered one assist. He was part of that year’s Paulista title-winning squad and left Corinthians later in 2018, when he was loaned to Grêmio, the club that later completed his transfer.

Gabriel Girotto, meanwhile, made 238 appearances for Corinthians, 217 of them as a starter. The defensive midfielder scored eight goals and provided two assists during his time at the club, while also helping win the 2017 Brasileirão and the three straight Paulista titles from 2017 to 2019.

Gabriel wore the black-and-white shirt between 2017 and early 2022. His last appearance came in a 1-0 win over Santo André in that year’s Paulista Championship. Shortly afterward, the player terminated his contract early and signed with Internacional.

First meeting ended in a Corinthians win

Corinthians and Red Bull Bragantino have already faced each other in this season’s Brazilian Championship. In the first meeting, on February 12, Timão won 2-0 at Neo Química Arena. The goals were scored by center-back Gabriel Paulista and left-back Matheus Bidu.

Now, Red Bull Bragantino will try to return the favor on home soil, while Corinthians look to repeat the performance from the first meeting to overtake their opponent in the standings. Sunday’s match kicks off at 6:30 p.m. at Estádio Cícero de Souza Marques in Bragança Paulista and will be broadcast on Premiere.

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