Corinthians up and down against Flamengo, draw leaves bitter taste | OneFootball

Corinthians had a game of ups and downs in the 1-1 draw against Flamengo on Sunday night at the Neo Química Arena, for the eighth round of the Brazilian Championship. Timão conceded a goal just two minutes into the match, but didn’t let it shake them and fought back, putting in a good overall first half. However, they failed to break through the rival defense when they had a man advantage and once again missed the chance to secure three points at home.

The draw leaves a bitter taste, as Corinthians saw their winless streak stretch to seven matches and suffered another disappointing result at the Arena. What may serve as consolation for the fans is that the squad, at least, showed a different attitude compared to recent games. It remains to be seen if this will continue in the next matches of the season, which will take place after the break for the FIFA international window.

How was the match?

Coach Dorival Júnior, even with some absences, fielded the best Corinthians had available. The main changes in the lineup were the returns of Gabriel Paulista, Carrillo, and Memphis Depay, who had been rested for the match against Chapecoense played on Thursday.

The game had barely started and Corinthians, due to an individual error, fell behind on the scoreboard just two minutes in. Instead of clearing the ball, Hugo Souza opted for a low pass, even though no one was available to receive it, and handed the ball to Jorginho. The midfielder found a pass to Pedro, who was clever and set up Paquetá inside the box. The goalkeeper’s decision ended up hurting Timão’s initial strategy, putting them in trouble within the first five minutes.

After conceding the goal, Corinthians began to control possession and pushed further into attack. Timão reached the opponent’s box and tried to connect their main players. It was in the 18th minute that the alvinegro team found enough space and, with a well-worked play, leveled the score. Yuri Alberto, Memphis, Bidon, and Matheus Bidu all played their part, combining well with close passing and switches of play, and the number 9 tied the match.

After the goal, however, Corinthians suffered a significant loss. Memphis Depay felt pain in his right thigh and asked to be substituted. To replace the Dutchman, Dorival brought on Garro, which changed the alvinegro’s strategy. The equalizer made the match balanced again, as expected in the previews. Possession was split, with both teams making attacking moves. Even so, the Alvinegro started to dominate the main actions.

In summary, Corinthians were shaken after falling behind so early, but managed to recover. Timão didn’t panic and found the equalizer with a well-worked move. Except for Flamengo’s goal, where the defense was caught off guard, the home side performed well in midfield and defense, gaining the upper hand in duels. The attack was less efficient, but still showed a positive attitude.

Second half

Corinthians made no changes at halftime and started the second half with an advantage. In the sixth minute, Evertton Araújo was sent off after a hard foul on Breno Bidon. Referee Rodrigo José Pereira de Lima was even called to the VAR to review the play, but stood firm and upheld the on-field decision. As a result, Timão played with a man advantage for almost the entire second half.

Given this scenario, the Corinthians coaching staff decided to make a move — albeit a bit late. Yuri Alberto was left very isolated in attack after Memphis Depay’s exit, and the team created no major chances apart from the goal. To fix this and give more strength and energy to the attack, Kayke was brought on for Carrillo, who had a very quiet game.

Despite the change, Corinthians couldn’t take advantage of having a man up. Timão misplaced many passes and was imprecise with some long balls, missing the close passing game they had shown in the first half. As an example, after the sending off, the alvinegro team didn’t create any clear scoring chances.

In the final minutes, as expected, Corinthians dominated possession and the match became attack versus defense. Even so, the Alvinegro only posed real danger to Rossi’s goal in stoppage time, with a shot from Yuri Alberto that was saved by the Argentine goalkeeper.

Standings

The result was not positive for either team. Corinthians picked up another draw and dropped to 11th place, with 10 points. Timão also saw their winless streak grow, reaching seven consecutive games without a win — two losses and five draws in that span.

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