Corinthians under-20s can seal Brasileirão knockout spot on Thursday | OneFootball

Corinthians U-20 take the field this Thursday (25) at 3 p.m. (Brasília time) at Fazendinha for one of their most important matches of the season. In the penultimate round of the first phase of the Brazilian U-20 Championship, the Sons of Terrão host Flamengo in a direct showdown that could secure the black-and-white side’s qualification for the knockout stage of the national competition.

The team coached by William Batista comes in on the back of a positive run and currently sits in eighth place, with 28 points from 17 matches. Their opponent is right behind them in the table: Flamengo are 10th with 26 points and are also still fighting for a place among the competition’s top eight.

Photo: ©Rodrigo Gazzanel / Ag. Corinthians

The situation makes the clash even more decisive. A Corinthians win at Fazendinha would mathematically guarantee the team a place in the next stage of the Brazilian U-20 Championship, with only one round remaining before the end of the first phase.

After going through a period of inconsistency during the competition, Corinthians managed to bounce back at just the most important moment of the tournament. In recent rounds, the team has put together results that moved them back into the qualification zone.

The surge began with a 6-2 win over Avaí at Parque São Jorge. After that, the Sons of Terrão beat Vitória 2-1 and picked up another three important points with a 2-1 away win over Cruzeiro.

Their good form also includes a 1-0 win over Mirassol in the Paulista U-20 Championship and a 2-0 victory over Portuguesa Santista, showing a team arriving with confidence for the final stretch of the season.

Over the 17 rounds played so far in the Brazilian U-20 Championship, Corinthians have recorded eight wins, four draws and five defeats, with a positive goal difference of seven. Among the main results of the campaign are wins over América-MG (4-0), Grêmio (3-1), Criciúma (2-1), São Paulo (1-0), Cuiabá (2-0), Avaí (6-2), Vitória (2-1) and the most recent win against Cruzeiro (2-1).

The tight standings increase the importance of this Thursday’s clash. Corinthians sit just inside the qualification zone with 28 points, while Flamengo are 10th with 26.

Besides the Rio club, other teams are also directly fighting for the last available spots, such as Bahia, América-MG and São Paulo. Because of that, a positive result against Flamengo could prevent Timão from going into the final round needing other results to go their way.

After facing Flamengo, Corinthians will wrap up their first-phase campaign against Juventude away from home in Rio Grande do Sul. That is why the club sees the match at Fazendinha as an opportunity to all but secure qualification before the final round and avoid pressure in the competition’s last week.

Another factor boosting Corinthians’ confidence is the team’s recent form. Corinthians go into the match after three straight wins in the Brazilian U-20 Championship, a run that put the club back among the competition’s top eight.

If they keep up the momentum and beat Flamengo, the Sons of Terrão will confirm their place in the national knockout stage and remain alive in the hunt for the Brazilian title in the category.

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