Corinthians v São Paulo: aiming to return to winning ways at home

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Central do Timão

·18 janvier 2026

Corinthians v São Paulo: aiming to return to winning ways at home

By Henrique Pereira / Central do Timão Editorial Team

Corinthians takes the field this Sunday at 4 PM to face São Paulo in the third round of the 2026 Paulista Championship, in a match that goes beyond the battle for three points. Besides the rivalry of the classic, Timão aims to string together a series of victories at the Neo Química Arena, something that hasn't happened since October of last year.

The alvinegra team started the season well, playing on their home turf. In the State Championship opener last Sunday, Corinthians defeated Ponte Preta 3-0 in Itaquera, following a significant improvement in the second half. Gustavo Henrique, André Luiz, and André Ramalho scored in the match.

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Photo: Rodrigo Coca/Ag. Corinthians

If they manage to overcome their rival in the Majestoso again, Timão will achieve their second consecutive victory as hosts, a feat not recorded since October 2025. At that time, the team led by Dorival Júnior secured three consecutive wins at the Neo Química Arena, all in the Brazilian Championship: 3-0 against Mirassol on October 4; 1-0 against Atlético-MG on the 18th; and 2-0 against Grêmio on November 2.

Despite this, the end of the last season showed signs of inconsistency in home performance. Corinthians won only one of the last five matches played as hosts in 2025, precisely in the classic against São Paulo. During this period, the team also accumulated three draws, against Botafogo, Juventude, and Vasco, as well as a defeat to Cruzeiro.

Even with the drop in performance at the end of the year, the overall balance of 2025 at the Neo Química Arena was positive. Throughout the season, Corinthians secured 21 victories in 38 home games, a number that represents the fourth-best performance in the stadium's history in terms of absolute victories. This data highlights that despite the final fluctuations, Timão maintained a good performance in Itaquera.

Besides this Sunday's Majestoso, Corinthians will have two more home commitments in the first phase of the Paulistão, which only includes four home games. For the rest of the season, the calendar also includes three matches in Itaquera for the Libertadores group stage, 19 games for the Brazilian Championship, and at least one match for the Copa do Brasil, should the team not advance in the initial phase they will enter the competition.

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