Corinthians win at Platense in Diniz debut, flying in Libertadores | OneFootball

Corinthians faced Platense on Thursday night (9) at Estadio Ciudad de Vicente López in the opening round of the 2026 Conmebol Libertadores group stage and won 2-0. The Alvinegro’s goals were scored by forwards Kayke and Yuri Alberto, both in the second half. With the result, Corinthians move to the top of Group E with three points.

The Corinthians coaching staff could not count on the following players for the match: center-back João Pedro Tchoca (pain in the pubic region), right-back Pedro Milans (sprained left ankle), defensive midfielder Charles (right heel injury), as well as forwards Kaio César (perifibrotic inflammation resulting from a muscle injury in the right thigh), Memphis Depay (grade 2 muscle injury in the front of the right thigh), and Gui Negão (grade 2 muscle injury in the right thigh).

Photo: Reproduction/ESPN

Thus, Fernando Diniz chose to start the match with the following lineup: Hugo Souza; Matheuzinho, Gabriel Paulista, Gustavo Henrique and Matheus Bidu; Raniele (Allan), André Luiz (André Carrillo), Breno Bidon and Rodrigo Garro (Jesse Lingard); Kayke (Vitinho) and Yuri Alberto (Pedro Raul).

The substitutes were: Kauê Camargo, Fabrizio Angileri, André Ramalho, Iago Machado, Allan, Matheus Pereira, André Carrillo, Zakaria Labyad, Dieguinho, Jesse Lingard, Vitinho and Pedro Raul.

Platense-ARG lineup

Coach Walter Zunino sent out the following team to start the game: Matías Borgogno; Juan Saborido, Ignacio Vázquez, Víctor Cuesta and Tomás Silva; Amarfil, Pablo Ferreira, Lotti, Zapiola and Guido Mainero; Gonzalo Lencina.

Officiating

The referee was Piero Maza (CHI), assisted by José Retamal (CHI) and Miguel Rocha (CHI); the fourth official and VAR were José Cabero (CHI) and Juan Lara (CHI), respectively.

Next match

Corinthians now turn their focus back to the Brazilian Championship. Next Sunday (12), at 6:30 p.m. Brasília time, Alvinegro will face Palmeiras at Neo Química Arena in the 11th round of the national competition. Currently, Alvinegro are the first team outside the relegation zone with 10 points — two wins, four draws and four losses — with eight goals scored and 11 conceded.

First half

The opening minutes of the match between Platense-ARG and Corinthians saw the Corinthians side trying to keep possession and build from the back on the ground. After one minute, the Argentine team attacked down the right and the opposing right winger sent a low cross into the box that went past everyone.

With nearly 10 minutes played, the match was very cautious, with Alvinegro trying to impose their style but facing an opponent applying tight, compact marking. In the 16th minute, Alvinegro threatened. Midfielder Raniele received the ball near the byline on the left and, when he crossed it back, the Argentine defense cleared it away.

Midfielder Rodrigo Garro took a corner and Platense’s defense cleared. Right after that, the opposing number 7 received the ball in midfield and shot just wide of goalkeeper Hugo Souza’s top corner. In the 22nd minute, Corinthians tried to counter with Breno Bidon, who played Yuri Alberto through. He beat the rival defender, but when trying to complete the move in midfield, his pass was intercepted.

Near the 30-minute mark, Corinthians had still not seriously threatened the opposing goal. The club from Parque São Jorge was struggling to complete passes, especially in the attacking third. Soon after, Platense came close down the left. From a cross, goalkeeper Hugo Souza made a huge save after a header from the opposing striker.

In the 33rd minute, Corinthians built through the middle and Yuri Alberto played Kayke through, but the number 31 failed to make the most of the chance and got tangled up in the move — he was dispossessed. Five minutes later, in the 38th, Platense began pressing down the right. From a corner on that same side, the Corinthians defense cleared the danger.

Six minutes later, Corinthians tried to break quickly from the back on the counter, and the ball fell to Rodrigo Garro, but the opposing defense tackled the number 8. The Argentine appealed for a foul on the right side of Corinthians’ attack, but the referee played advantage. André Luiz was then shown a yellow card after committing a foul in midfield. In the 45th minute, the referee added three minutes.

In the closing moments of stoppage time, Yuri Alberto, in his first big chance and Corinthians’ first real opportunity of the game, was played through on the left side of attack and went one-on-one with the goalkeeper, but struck it straight down the middle. At 48 minutes, the first half ended: Platense-ARG 0-0 Corinthians. The opening half was marked by few chances on either side, especially for Alvinegro, who struggled to deal with the marking in midfield and lacked creativity in that area.

Second half

To begin the second half, coach Fernando Diniz made no changes. The opening minutes of the second half between Platense-ARG and Corinthians saw the home side trying to apply more pressure in the attacking third. In the fourth minute, Alvinegro threatened. Matheus Bidu crossed from the left, the defense cleared, and from the loose ball on the right, Breno Bidon shot wide.

In the eighth minute, Corinthians scored their first goal! The opposing goalkeeper took a goal kick into midfield, and André Luiz won the aerial duel. The ball fell to Yuri Alberto, who laid it off to Garro in the middle. The number 8 saw Kayke making a run down the left wing and played the number 31 through. The Terrão graduate, one-on-one with the keeper, chipped it and opened the scoring for Timão! Score: Platense-ARG 0-1 Corinthians!

Right after that, following an attacking move down the left and a tight-angle shot, Hugo Souza gathered the ball. After taking the lead, Corinthians began to rely more on counterattacks and tightened their defensive marking even further, but the Argentines kept trying to press. In the 17th minute, after a set-piece from the right, an opposing player headed the ball and Alvinegro’s number 1 tipped it away!

In the 25th minute of the second half, Corinthians scored their second goal! Matheuzinho took a throw-in from the right, the ball went past Raniele and fell to Rodrigo Garro. The Argentine played Yuri Alberto through, and he simply touched it past the goalkeeper to score Timão’s goal! Score: Platense 0-2 Corinthians. The goal came just as the Corinthians side had been under heavy pressure from the opposition.

Three minutes later, winger Kayke received a through ball from Rodrigo Garro on the left and hit a cross-shot wide! By the 31st minute, the club from Parque São Jorge was already managing its lead and only looking to close down spaces against the opposing team and, on the counterattack, trying to put the game to bed.

Soon after, a Platense player was sent off after going in on Matheus Bidu near the touchline. In the 35th minute, Corinthians made their first two substitutions: midfielder André Carrillo and forward Vitinho came on for André Luiz and Kayke, respectively. Unlike the final stretch, Alvinegro controlled the game in the second half. Despite the Argentine team’s attempts to press, the Corinthians defense and goalkeeper Hugo Souza were rarely tested, especially after the red card.

In the 40th minute, Corinthians made three more changes: Allan, Jesse Lingard and Pedro Raul came on for Raniele, Rodrigo Garro and Yuri Alberto, respectively. When the clock reached 45 minutes, three more were added. In the final moments, Corinthians simply managed the result by passing the ball around in defense. In the first minute of stoppage time, Alvinegro launched a counterattack. Carrillo received it on the right and switched it to Vitinho, who shot over the goal!

At 48 minutes, full-time: Platense-ARG 0-2 Corinthians! Timão return to winning ways after nine matches this season!

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