Trio impress, Corinthians defeat gives Dorival food for thought | OneFootball

By André Costa

The Corinthians did not play badly, but were defeated by Fortaleza this Wednesday at Arena Castelão, in the 37th round of the Brazilian Championship. The defeat left some lessons for coach Dorival Júnior ahead of the clash with Cruzeiro, in the semifinal of the Copa do Brasil.

The alvinegro team conceded an early goal, just seven minutes in, due to a marking error. However, they controlled the rest of the first half and deserved to go into the break with a draw. Timão had more than 70% possession in the first half and made nine attempts.

Who doesn’t score…

After so many missed chances, Corinthians were punished with a second goal in the 12th minute of the second half. Even so, Dorival Júnior's team continued creating opportunities. The team reduced the deficit through André and only didn't equalize thanks to a miracle save by goalkeeper Brenno in the final minutes.

Trio asks for a chance

With an eye on the Copa do Brasil, Dorival fielded a mixed team at Castelão. As a result, reserves and youth players got opportunities. Three of them were the main highlights: Vitinho, André, and Dieguinho.

André scored Corinthians' goal and had a solid performance in midfield. Vitinho not only provided an assist but also created the team's main chances. Dieguinho took control of the game, especially in the first half, and was one of the most active in attack, with dribbles and shots.

The trio is asking for a chance among the starters. If not to start among the eleven, the players need, at the very least, to get good minutes in the clash with Cruzeiro.

Situation in the standings

The defeat to Fortaleza took away Corinthians' chance to reach the eighth position in the standings. Therefore, the alvinegro team depends on winning the Copa do Brasil to qualify for the Libertadores in 2026. Timão is in tenth place in the Brasileirão, with 46 points.

Next Corinthians match

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