Corinthians under-20 striker eyes crucial clash with Juventude | OneFootball

Corinthians face Juventude this Wednesday afternoon (1) at 3 p.m. (Brasília time) at CFAC, in Caxias do Sul, in a match valid for the 19th and final round of the first phase of the 2026 Brazilian Under-20 Championship. Currently, the Alvinegro sit in eighth place with 29 points — eight wins, five draws, and four defeats — with 31 goals scored and 24 conceded.

Forward Nicolas Araújo, 19, who has one goal in 11 matches this season, gave an interview to the Filhos do Terrão social media channels and looked ahead to the decisive clash against the team from Rio Grande do Sul, highlighting the squad’s preparation. Across Corinthians’ Under-17 and Under-20 teams, the youngster has 20 goals in 78 matches, with 42 wins, 18 draws, and 18 defeats. His contract runs until June 2027.

Photo: Rodrigo Gazzanel/Agência Corinthians

“We worked really hard this week. We were coming off a draw (against Flamengo, 2-2, at home) that was very important for our campaign in the Brazilian Championship. Now tomorrow we’re going to face Juventude so we can secure this qualification, which is so important for us in this half of the season,” he said.

To advance to the Brasileirão Under-20 quarterfinals, something that has not happened since 2023, as Timão fought near the bottom of the table over the last two years, the Alvinegro need a win by any scoreline so as not to depend on other results.

A draw does not guarantee qualification for William Batista’s side. That is because Flamengo, the first team outside the top eight with 27 points, would qualify instead of Corinthians if they beat Avaí by at least an eight-goal margin — they would level the goal difference and have scored more goals. In the event of a defeat, Corinthians would have to hope Flamengo do not beat the team from Santa Catarina. Otherwise, they would be eliminated in this scenario.

After facing Juventude away from home in the Brazilian Under-20 Championship, Corinthians will turn their focus back to the state league in the category. Next Sunday (5), at 11 a.m. (Brasília time), Timãozinho take the field to face Sertãozinho at Estádio Alfredo Schürig, Fazendinha, in the fourth round of the state championship. In the first three rounds, the Alvinegro recorded two wins and one draw — three goals scored and none conceded — occupying fifth place in Group 1.

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