Corinthians' fringe side push Flamengo, but lose at the Maracanã | OneFootball

On Sunday afternoon (13), Corinthians faced Flamengo at the Maracanã Stadium in a match valid for the 27th round of the 2026 Brazilian Championship. In a game with two very different halves, the team from São Paulo left the field with a 2-1 defeat, with striker Gui Negão scoring their goal.

In the first half, Corinthians, fielding an alternative lineup, came under heavy pressure from the home side and struggled to get out of their defensive half. In one of their only breaks of the first half, Angileri delivered a good cross for Gui Negão, but the striker missed the finish. The defensive system, helped by important saves from Hugo Souza, held off the opponent’s momentum and went into halftime level at 0-0.

Photo: Rodrigo Coca / Corinthians Agency

In the second half, however, Timão could not withstand the opposing pressure. Right at the start, Paquetá took advantage of a rebound from Hugo Souza after a corner and finished to open the scoring. Corinthians improved with the introduction of some starters and even found an equalizer through Gui Negão. However, after a defensive lapse, Bruno Henrique appeared in the box to score with a header and seal the final result.

What does it mean?

With the result, Corinthians remain in 13th place with 32 points, only four more than Vasco, the first team inside the Brasileirão relegation zone.

Next match

After visiting Flamengo at the Maracanã in the Brazilian Championship, Corinthians now turn their attention to the biggest match of the season. Next Wednesday (16), at 9:30 p.m. Brasília time, the Black and Whites will host Argentina’s Estudiantes in the second leg of the 2026 Conmebol Libertadores quarterfinals. The first match, in La Plata, ended in a 1-1 draw. If there is another draw, the semifinalist will be decided on penalties.

Corinthians lineup

The Corinthians coaching staff had the following absences for the match against the Rio side: center-backs André Ramalho (partial training with the group after a bout of vertigo) and Gustavo Henrique (rested), defensive midfielders Allan (contractual clause; on loan from Flamengo), André Luiz (still recovering from a grade 2 injury to the back of his right thigh) and André Carrillo (rested), midfielder Zakaria Labyad (recovering from surgery on the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee), as well as forwards Kayke Ferrari (recovering from surgery on the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee), Memphis Depay (rested) and Yuri Alberto (still being treated for a grade 2 injury to the back of his right thigh).

As a result, Corinthians were lined up by coach Fernando Diniz as follows to start the match: Hugo Souza; Pedro Milans, Iago Machado, João Pedro Tchoca and Fabrizio Angileri; Raniele, Charles and Matheus Pereira; Dieguinho, Jesse Lingard and Gui Negão.

The bench options were: Kauê Camargo, Matheuzinho, Matheus Bidu, Hugo Farias, Gabriel Paulista, Yago Melo, Alex Santana, Breno Bidon, Rodrigo Garro, Kaio César, Vitinho and Pedro Raul.

Flamengo lineup

Flamengo are also playing in the Copa Libertadores quarterfinals, where they face Ecuador’s Independiente Del Valle. Despite winning 2-0 away from home and deciding the tie at the Maracanã, the Rio team also chose to rest some players with the midweek match in mind.

Coached by Leonardo Jardim, the home side took the field with: Rossi; Varela, L. Ortiz, Danilo and Ayrton Lucas; Erick, Paquetá, De Arrascaeta and Plata; Samuel Lino and Pedro.

Officiating

The referee was Wilton Pereira Sampaio (GO), assisted by Bruno Raphael Pires (GO) and Leone Carvalho Rocha (GO). The fourth official and VAR were, respectively, Jefferson Fereira de Moares (GO) and Gilberto Rodrigues Castro Jr. (PE).

First half

The match began with Flamengo on the front foot from the very first minute. In the sixth minute, Samuel Lino controlled the ball while taking on Dieguinho’s marking and sent a cross into the box, but Angileri cleared it with a header. Flamengo kept the move alive, and Varela tried to dribble past Angileri, but the Corinthians player put it out for a corner.

In the seventh minute, Flamengo worked the ball down the left, and Plata received it in the middle, controlled it, and shot left-footed for a save by Hugo Souza. In the ninth, Lucas Paquetá controlled the ball in midfield, set himself, and tried a long-range effort. The ball struck Raniele in the head and went behind.

In the 11th minute, Danilo played a vertical pass toward the attack, Pedro cushioned the ball into the path of Arrascaeta. He reached the byline and hit it toward the middle of the box. João Pedro Tchoca made the clearance, but the officials had already flagged Flamengo’s number 10 offside.

In the 21st minute, Plata crossed into the box and Pedro, challenging for the ball, touched it with his chest, forcing an incredible save from Hugo Souza. Ayrton Lucas pounced on the rebound and poked it toward goal, but João Pedro Tchoca, lying on the ground, cleared it off the line with his head to deny Flamengo.

Then in the 23rd minute, Corinthians managed to attack for the first time. Angileri crossed from the left into the box and Gui Negão threw himself forward for a diving header and did get a touch, but did not connect well and the ball went back to the opposing defense.

In the 28th minute, Pulgar received the ball in midfield and, even from distance, tried his luck. Raniele threw himself in front of the shot and blocked it. In the 29th, Leo Ortiz lofted the ball into the box, Arrascaeta cushioned it with his chest, and Pedro arrived shooting, only for Hugo Souza to make another fine save. Arrascaeta took the rebound and shot, but was stopped by the Corinthians defense and won a corner.

In the 30th minute, Plata dribbled past Lingard on the right side of the attack, entered the box, and crossed into the area. Iago Machado appeared to clear it for a corner. A minute later, after another Flamengo corner, Samuel Lino tried a long-range finish, and Hugo Souza made the save.

In the 32nd minute, after a cross from Samuel Lino, Pedro lunged to flick the ball backward and Arrascaeta shot wide in another dangerous move. In the 34th, Pulgar found Samuel Lino, who drove forward and tried a placed shot, sending the ball dangerously close to Hugo Souza’s post.

In the 36th minute, Samuel Lino tried another long-range shot and Hugo Souza got down to make an important save and parry it away. In the 38th, Flamengo worked the ball down the right and, from a cross into the box, Arrascaeta mishit it and could not strike cleanly at Hugo Souza’s goal.

In the 45th minute, Gui Negão made a poor mistake playing out from inside the box and passed it straight to Varela, who fortunately shot wide with his left foot. In the following minute, Raniele won the ball in his own half and burst through midfield at speed, beating several opponents before finally being stopped inside Flamengo’s box.

There were no other dangerous chances, and the teams went into halftime level at 0-0.

Second half

Flamengo’s first goal: in the fourth minute, Arrascaeta took a corner, Hugo Souza came out and punched the ball while colliding with Angileri. Lucas Paquetá took advantage of the loose ball with his left foot and smashed it home to open the scoring for Flamengo.

In the seventh minute, Pedro Milans crossed from the right into the box, Angileri headed it from the left side toward Gui Negão, and Danilo made the clearance. In the 12th minute, Samuel Lino controlled the ball on the edge of the area, shot left-footed, and sent it wide.

In the 15th minute, after a loose ball from a corner, Ayrton Lucas tried from distance and sent it over Hugo Souza’s goal. In the 18th, Arrascaeta carried the ball forward and combined with Samuel Lino. Plata received it on the right and shot into Iago Machado’s block, winning a corner for Flamengo.

In the 20th minute, Fernando Diniz made four substitutions for Corinthians, sending on Kaio César, Breno Bidon, Matheuzinho, and Matheus Bidu in place of Dieguinho, Charles, Pedro Milans, and Fabrizio Angileri, respectively.

In the 25th, Lingard shot from very far out and sent it over Rossi’s goal, Corinthians’ first shot of the match. In the 28th, Rodrigo Garro came on in place of Matheus Pereira.

Corinthians’ goal: it did not take long for the substitution to make an impact. In the 32nd minute, Breno Bidon played Kaio César through. He combined with Garro while entering the box and squared it for Gui Negão to finish and level the score at the Maracanã.

In the 34th, Bruno Henrique was played into space in attack and hit a weak shot that was saved by Hugo Souza. In the next minute, Samuel Lino broke down the left and found Paquetá making a run through the Corinthians defense. Hugo Souza narrowed the angle on Paquetá’s shot.

In the 42nd, Samuel Lino pounced on a loose clearance from Iago Machado, controlled it on his chest, and shot, but Kaio César blocked it for a corner.

Flamengo’s second goal: in the 43rd minute, Samuel Lino combined with Jorginho, who played it first time to Freitas on the left. He delivered a pinpoint cross into the box for Bruno Henrique to rise above Iago Machado and head Flamengo back in front.

Corinthians even had more possession afterward as they tried to find another equalizer, but left the Maracanã with a 2-1 defeat.

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