Corinthians rely on solid defensive duo to stay unbeaten in Libertadores | OneFootball

Corinthians will face an important challenge this Thursday at 9:30 p.m. (Brasília time) against Peñarol at Estadio Campeón del Siglo, in the fifth round of the Copa Libertadores group stage. In search of a positive result away from home, coach Fernando Diniz can rely on a statistic that has drawn attention in recent weeks: the team’s excellent defensive performance when Gustavo Henrique and Gabriel Paulista play together at center-back.

Since the pair became the starting defensive duo, Corinthians have played nine matches, recording six wins and three draws, remaining unbeaten during that span. In addition, the performance stands out for its defensive consistency: only three goals conceded, an average of 0.33 per game.

Photo: Rodrigo Coca/Ag. Corinthians

The run began with a 2-0 away win over Platense in the Libertadores. Then Timão drew 0-0 with Palmeiras in the Brasileirão and went back to winning in the continental competition by beating Independiente Santa Fe 2-0 at Neo Química Arena.

After that came a draw against Vitória, a win over Barra FC in the Copa do Brasil, a victory over Vasco da Gama, and another positive result in the Libertadores, this time against Peñarol themselves in Itaquera, by 2-0. The only goals conceded by the duo came in the draw against Independiente Santa Fe away from home and in the 3-2 win over São Paulo in the Brazilian Championship.

The match could secure Timão the top spot in Group E of the competition. To do so, a draw against the Uruguayans would be enough, taking the São Paulo black-and-white side to 11 points. Platense, in second place, have seven points and were beaten by Independiente Santa Fe of Colombia last Tuesday. The Colombian club, in third place, reached five points. At the bottom of the group, Peñarol have two points.

Corinthians’ record when Gustavo Henrique and Gabriel Paulista form the defensive duo:

1) Platense-ARG 0 x 2 Corinthians – 04/09/2026 – Libertadores 2) Corinthians 0 x 0 Palmeiras – 04/12/2026 – Brasileirão 3) Corinthians 2 x 0 Santa Fe-COL – 04/15/2026 – Libertadores 4) Vitória 0 x 0 Corinthians – 04/18/2026 – Brasileirão 5) Barra-SC 0 x 1 Corinthians – 04/21/2026 – Copa do Brasil 6) Corinthians 1 x 0 Vasco da Gama – 04/26/2026 – Brasileirão 7) Corinthians 2 x 0 Peñarol-URU – 04/30/2026 – Libertadores 8) Santa Fe 1 x 1 Corinthians – 05/06/2026 – Libertadores 9) Corinthians 3 x 2 São Paulo – 05/10/2026 – Brasileirão

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