Corinthians goalkeeper eyes home clash with Peñarol-URU in Libertadores | OneFootball

By Fabio Luigi / Central do Timão Editorial Team

On the afternoon of this Tuesday (29), Corinthians wrapped up preparations for the third round of the 2026 Conmebol Libertadores group stage. That is because on Thursday night (30), at 9 p.m. (Brasília time), the team will host Peñarol of Uruguay at Neo Química Arena. At the moment, the Black and White side leads Group E with six points — four goals scored and none conceded.

Goalkeeper Hugo Souza spoke with Corinthians TV and shared his expectations for the match against the Uruguayans, highlighting the importance of the club from Parque São Jorge staying at the top of its group. The number 1, it is worth remembering, missed the team’s last two matches due to muscle discomfort (against Barra-SC, in the Copa do Brasil) and an STJD suspension (against Vasco, in the Brasileirão). In the first two rounds, Corinthians beat Platense-ARG and Santa Fé-COL by 2-0 scores.

Photo: Rodrigo Coca/Agência Corinthians

“I think it’s important for us to take care of business at home, so that we can confirm this great moment we’ve been living through. We’ve trained hard and we know what we need to do on the pitch. I missed two games, and I’m happy to be back playing, especially in Libertadores matches. I think we know how important it is to stay in first place in the group, and we know the benefits that brings us.”

“And that’s what we’re going after, a victory to seal this strong start. So that we can keep strengthening both our qualification and our first place. And the group is very motivated so that we can do the best possible. God willing, we’ll get three more points here at home, close to our fans, which is the best possible scenario,” he said.

Hugo Souza joined Corinthians in July 2024, initially on loan from Flamengo, after standing out while playing for Chaves of Portugal, where he spent one season. Later that same year, he was signed permanently by the Black and White club and, since then, has been one of the team’s main players.

He played an important role in the team’s surge in the 2024 Brasileirão (from the relegation zone to the Libertadores qualifying stage), and was also decisive in winning the Campeonato Paulista (2025), Copa do Brasil (2025), and Supercopa do Brasil (2026), against Palmeiras, Vasco da Gama, and Flamengo. He is among the top three penalty savers in the club’s history. In total, he has made 113 appearances in a Corinthians shirt, with 53 wins, 33 draws, and 27 losses — a 56.64% success rate.

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