Corinthians, just under 50% at the Arena since Dorival Jr arrived | OneFootball

On the night of last Sunday (22), Corinthians faced Flamengo at Neo Química Arena in a match valid for the eighth round of the 2026 Brazilian Championship and drew 1-1. The result left the Corinthians side only in 11th place with 10 points — two wins, four draws, and two losses. Alvinegro’s goal was scored by striker Yuri Alberto.

The result highlighted Corinthians’ inconsistency, in terms of results, while playing at Neo Química Arena since the arrival of coach Dorival Júnior, hired in the final stretch of April 2025. According to a survey by the Estatísticas Corinthians profile on X, formerly Twitter, Alvinegro has amassed 11 wins, 10 draws, and eight losses with the manager on the sideline in Itaquera. The team’s success rate is 49.4%.

Photo: Rodrigo Coca/Agência Corinthians

In a press conference after the clash against Rubro-Negro, the coach was asked about the team’s difficulties in the offensive sector, especially in terms of efficiency when playing with a numerical advantage. For most of the second half, Corinthians had one more player on the field, since defensive midfielder Éverton Araújo was sent off after stepping on midfielder Breno Bidon near the edge of the box. With seven goals scored, Alvinegro has the second-worst attack in the Brasileirão, ahead of only RB Bragantino and Internacional, who have six goals each.

“It could, yes, be linked to anxiety, which is sometimes natural. The funny thing is that we have possession of the ball. In every game, we have possession. In most of these matches. And we don’t always manage to turn all of that into something. It’s natural that we are without our main forwards, the players who are used to scoring. And we are preparing a generation that is coming through. That really bothers us. Because we have a team that is working on close support, passing combinations, and circulating the ball, but we lack aggression and being a little more incisive. That is what we work on the most day to day in training. It is what we insist on the most. It is what we repeat the most, and we still are not finding the success we need,” he began.

He then answered about the team’s difficulty in putting together a run of positive results at home under his command, as mentioned at the beginning of this article. In his response, he also acknowledged that in the 2-0 home defeat to Coritiba in Itaquera, when he was not on the bench because he was suspended, things ended up not happening. Since Dorival Júnior’s arrival, the club from Parque São Jorge has won the Copa do Brasil (2025) and the Supercopa do Brasil (2026).

“It’s hard to explain that. It’s hard to explain. If I had the numbers, the formula for a quick turnaround, no one is seeking these kinds of victories more than we are. Even because Corinthians has always been very strong here. I have always faced Corinthians here with several teams and I know the difficulties I had here. I even won several matches here, but I had many difficulties, even in those wins. That is what happens today. Teams do not win with much comfort.”

“We had a game that was far below our level and maybe it was the worst game since my arrival up to now, also largely because of the approach Coritiba took throughout the match. (…) We want this winning team back quickly. And I am sure that will happen. If you put in a performance at the level we did today again against a team that will certainly fight for the Brazilian Championship title, you know that not just any team can do that. And once again I think we showed that we have a capacity that is perhaps greater than the results we are showing at this moment. I still believe we will find that point of balance, I have no doubt about that,” he concluded.

Corinthians will now return to the pitch on the 1st, next Wednesday, at 9:30 p.m. (Brasília time), against Fluminense at Maracanã Stadium, for the ninth round of the Brazilian Championship.

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