Libertadores win shifts Corinthians' season rankings | OneFootball

Throughout the night last Wednesday (15), Corinthians hosted Santa Fe of Colombia at Neo Química Arena, in a match valid for the second round of the 2026 Conmebol Libertadores group stage, and beat the opponent 2-0. The three points kept the club from Parque São Jorge at the top of Group E with six points — four goals scored and none conceded.

The win shook up Corinthians’ rankings in the 2026 season. Defensive midfielder Raniele, who scored the opening goal of the match, found the net for the first time this year. Previously, his last goal for Alvinegro had come on November 30, 2025, in the 2-2 draw against Botafogo in Itaquera, in the 36th round of the Brazilian Championship.

Photo: Rodrigo Coca/Agência Corinthians

Graphic: Central do Timão

The No. 14 scored six minutes into the second half. Midfielder Rodrigo Garro took a corner from the left toward Gustavo Henrique at the far post, who headed it back into the middle of the box for the defensive midfielder to put it into the net. Corinthians’ No. 13, meanwhile, reached his second goal of 2026, tying Kayke, Breno Bidon and Gabriel Paulista. In that category, they trail only forward Yuri Alberto and defensive midfielder André Luiz, with five and three goals respectively.

The 33-year-old defender scored Corinthians’ second goal in the 35th minute of the second half. Garro swung in a left-footed free kick from the right side of midfield, and the experienced center-back, with an acrobatic effort, scored a stunning goal into goalkeeper Mosquera’s top-left corner. The center-back, with the assist for Raniele, also reached his second assist of the season, alongside Kaio César and Matheus Bidu.

Corinthians’ No. 8, in turn, reached his sixth assist — the team leader in that category — by delivering a precise cross for Gustavo Henrique to score the goal that sealed Corinthians’ win last Wednesday (15). For comparison, the Argentine recorded eight assists in the entire 2025 season, in which he dealt with physical issues.

Corinthians now turns its focus to the continuation of the Brazilian Championship. Next Saturday (18), at 8 p.m. (Brasília time), Alvinegro will visit Vitória at Barradão Stadium in a match valid for the 12th round of the national tournament. Timão will look to win after eight matches in the competition, as it sits only in 16th place with 11 points — two wins, five draws and four defeats — eight goals scored and 11 conceded.

Corinthians 2026 assist ranking

1) Rodrigo Garro* — six assists

2) Gustavo Henrique*, Kaio César and Matheus Bidu — two assists each

3) Matheuzinho, Yuri Alberto, Memphis Depay, Dieguinho, Vitinho, Ryan and Pedro Raul — one assist each

Corinthians top scorers in 2026:

1) Yuri Alberto — five goals

2) André — three goals

3) Gustavo Henrique*, Kayke, Gabriel Paulista and Breno Bidon — two goals each

4) Raniele*, Memphis Depay, João Pedro Tchoca, Vitinho, Rodrigo Garro, Matheus Bidu, Gui Negão, Dieguinho, André Ramalho — one goal each

Gustavo Henrique at Corinthians

Signed at the start of 2024, Corinthians center-back Gustavo Henrique has since been considered one of the team’s pillars and leaders. Before arriving at Parque São Jorge, he played for Santos (where he came through the youth system), Flamengo, Fenerbahçe of Turkey, and Real Valladolid of Spain. Since then, he has made 93 appearances in a Corinthians shirt (89 as a starter), with 43 wins, 19 draws and 31 defeats — a 52.54% success rate. The center-back has scored eight goals and provided four assists in that span, and was an undisputed starter in the title wins of the Campeonato Paulista (2025), Copa do Brasil (2025) and Supercopa do Brasil (2026), against Palmeiras, Vasco da Gama and Flamengo, respectively.

Raniele at Corinthians

Signed in January 2024 after standing out for Cuiabá the previous season, Raniele quickly became a starter for Corinthians. He took part in the team’s surge in that year’s Brasileirão (from the relegation zone to the Libertadores qualifying stage and a place in the following year’s Copa do Brasil), in addition to the title wins in the Campeonato Paulista (2025), Copa do Brasil (2025) and Supercopa do Brasil (2026), against Palmeiras, Vasco da Gama and Flamengo, respectively. Wearing the Corinthians shirt, he has four goals and two assists in 129 matches (114 as a starter) for the club, with 57 wins, 32 draws and 40 defeats — a 52.45% success rate.

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