‘We aim high’, says Gustavo Henrique on Corinthians in Libertadores | OneFootball

On the night of 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 won 2-0. Corinthians’ goals were scored by Raniele and Gustavo Henrique, both in the second half. The victory kept the team at the top of Group E with six points — four goals scored and none conceded.

A few minutes after the final whistle, center-back Gustavo Henrique spoke to the press in the mixed zone and talked about his “acrobatic” goal scored in the latter half of the second half after a free-kick delivery by midfielder Rodrigo Garro. In addition, he was asked about Fernando Diniz’s energetic style, his individual performance, the differences brought by the new coach compared to Dorival Jr., the continuity of the starting lineup, and Corinthians’ goals in the Libertadores.

Photo: Rodrigo Coca/Agência Corinthians

Check out center-back Gustavo Henrique’s answers to the press in the mixed zone below:

“Acrobatic” goal scored in the second half after Rodrigo Garro’s free kick

“It’s a wonderful feeling, I’m very happy for the goal, for the performance, and especially for the win, being able to help my teammates and the team. It was a movement where I basically tried to throw myself at the ball, trying to direct my leg toward the goal. The ball hit my shin there, kind of my knee, but the most important thing was scoring and helping our team.”

Fernando Diniz’s “energetic” style on the touchline

“We know the coach’s characteristics — a team that keeps possession and tries to build from the back all the way forward. Today we managed to implement a little more of that, and without the ball we know we all need to defend, we need to drop the line when necessary. Suffer together so that we can become stronger and stronger defensively, because we know our attack is very powerful, and I hope we can keep improving more and more.”

Celebrating the win and his individual performance

“I’m very happy, like I said, I’ll always try to do my best to help the team and help my teammates. It was a very difficult Libertadores match, a very complicated opponent. We knew it was going to be like that, and we managed it — I managed to get the assist for Raniele and then the goal, which gave us these three points and a very important win for our run.”

New energy with Fernando Diniz’s arrival while highlighting Dorival Júnior’s work

“I think when you see a new coach come in, there’s new energy, the coach’s characteristics and philosophy come with him, and he’s a very energetic guy who gave us that new energy. Not that it didn’t exist with coach Dorival. Like I said, with coach Dorival, the board ended up making the decision, and then Diniz came in and brought us different energy, a guy who fires you up more and put it in our heads that we had what it takes to turn things around. We believe in his work, we believe we can improve with and without the ball, and that’s what’s happening. We’re very happy with these three matches, but there’s still more to come. We’re still bothered by our situation in the league, and we’re going to work to close that gap up there.”

Three straight games with the same team

“Chemistry is very important. When you play with the same players, things become kind of automatic. We know the Brazilian league has a lot of games, but we also like playing, building that chemistry. The more we play together, the more we get to know each other, understand our teammate’s movements, and that helps a lot.”

Corinthians’ goals in the Libertadores and the “perfect” start

“It’s about approaching every game like it’s a final, the same way we’ve been doing. Every game is a final for us. We know what this shirt represents. Every game is important — there’s no more important or less important game — especially because of the situation we’re in in Brazil. Like I said, that situation bothers us a lot, and we’re going to work so that we can keep climbing the table.”

“We know it’s a competition we really want to win, one our fans really want as well, and we’re approaching it once again, like every match, as if it were a final. It’s very important to start with these two wins. In the next game we have a home match that we need to win, we need another three points so we can be even more comfortable in the standings. We also know that the top spots and the overall ranking can make a difference later on, and we’re very happy to be starting with this good run.”

Man of the Match awards and jokes with his son about it

“Last year it was two, I think it was two, if I’m not mistaken (Man of the Match awards). Man, my son really pressures me about it. Because sometimes, for example, against Palmeiras, in the second leg of the Copa do Brasil, it was Garro and all that. He always told me, ‘it should’ve been you.’ So when I win it, I give it to him, right? This year it was against Ponte Preta, I think in the first game, and I won the little trophy. It’s really cool, really special. Especially in the Libertadores. It’s every player’s dream to be playing in it, even more so wearing this shirt. And I’m very happy about that.”

Gustavo Henrique’s time at Corinthians so far

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 ranks), 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 losses — 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-winning campaigns of the Campeonato Paulista (2025), Copa do Brasil (2025), and Supercopa do Brasil (2026), against Palmeiras, Vasco da Gama, and Flamengo, respectively.

Next fixture

Now, Corinthians turn their attention back to the Brazilian Championship, looking to end an eight-game winless run in the competition. 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 be seeking a win after eight games in the competition, as they currently sit only 16th with 11 points — two wins, five draws, and four losses — with eight goals scored and 11 conceded.

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