Diniz faces first derby with Abel, wants Corinthians strong at home | OneFootball

After a winning debut in the Libertadores, coach Fernando Diniz will face another major challenge in just his second match in charge of Corinthians. Timão host Palmeiras this Sunday at 6:30 p.m. (Brasília time) at home in the 11th round of the Brazilian Championship.

If Diniz’s mission was to get Corinthians back on the winning track, the challenge now is to restore the black-and-white team’s strength in what has always been its fortress: Neo Química Arena.

Since last season, Corinthians have been inconsistent at home, and the Arena is no longer a venue feared by rivals. The numbers in 2026 are not encouraging either, with three wins, four losses, and two draws, which amounts to a 40.7% success rate, with 11 goals scored and eight conceded.

They have now gone three consecutive matches without a win at their stadium, with defeats to Coritiba and Internacional and a draw against Flamengo. After the match against Inter, fans even protested and hurled insults at the squad. The supporters’ dissatisfaction had been growing before the Libertadores win.

“The most important thing is for the team to reconnect with the fans, because that combination is what will make Corinthians very strong. We have to respect the fans’ frustration, which is understandable, and the fans can also be sure that the players work very hard and are very dedicated. Sometimes things don’t happen for various reasons, but the players are giving their all so that the wins return in emphatic fashion,” the coach said on Thursday.

Diniz’s record against Abel

The Derby, therefore, presents itself as the perfect stage for Corinthians to show their strength at home this season. To do so, however, Fernando Diniz will need to overcome his negative career numbers against Palmeiras coach Abel Ferreira.

In six matches against the Portuguese coach’s Verdão, Diniz has just one win, which came back in 2023. The Corinthians manager has suffered three losses and two draws against Abel Ferreira, for an overall success rate of 27.7%. His teams have scored only five goals and conceded nine.

In the most recent meeting between the two coaches, Abel Ferreira came out on top in Palmeiras’ 3-0 win over Vasco at Allianz Parque in the Brazilian Championship.

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How do the teams come into the match?

In the Brazilian Championship, Corinthians and Palmeiras are experiencing opposite situations. Timão ended a nine-match winless streak with their Libertadores victory, but they have not won in seven rounds in Série A and are close to the relegation zone. The black-and-white side sit in 16th place with 10 points.

On the other side, Palmeiras lead the tournament and are in great form, coming off five consecutive wins in the competition, in addition to an away draw in their Libertadores opener. Verdão are in first place with 25 points, five more than second-placed São Paulo.

“It’s an extremely traditional match, and Palmeiras are in a very good moment, leading the championship. But it’s a match we will approach the way it has to be approached: as a decisive game, as a final, as it always is when Corinthians and Palmeiras play,” Diniz said.

This will be the second Derby of the season. In the first and only meeting so far, Palmeiras went to Neo Química Arena in the first phase of this year’s Paulista Championship and beat Corinthians 1-0 thanks to a goal by Flaco López.

Corinthians’ next matches

Corinthians vs Palmeiras (11th round of the Brasileirão) Date and time: 04/12 (Sunday), 6:30 p.m. (Brasília time) Venue: Neo Química Arena, in São Paulo (SP)

Corinthians vs Santa Fé-COL (second round of the Libertadores) Date and time: 04/15 (Wednesday), 9:30 p.m. (Brasília time) Venue: Neo Química Arena, in São Paulo (SP)

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