Corinthians striker chasing first goal at Neo Química Arena in 2026 | OneFootball

On the evening of this Sunday (22), at 8:30 PM (Brasília time), Corinthians faces Flamengo at the Neo Química Arena, in a match valid for the eighth round of the 2026 Brazilian Championship. At this moment, the Alvinegro occupies the ninth position in the national competition with nine points – two wins, three draws, and two losses – six goals scored and six conceded.

The clash between the two largest fan bases in Brazil will be an opportunity for forward Yuri Alberto to score for the first time at the Neo Química Arena this season. The striker is the top scorer for Alvinegro in 2026 with three goals scored in nine games, all of them away from home. The first of these happened on January 22, in the draw against Santos 1-1, at Vila Belmiro, during the first phase of the Paulistão.

Photo: Rodrigo Coca/Ag. Corinthians

The second, in turn, happened on the 25th, in the victory against Velo Clube, in the interior of São Paulo, by 1-0. On that day, the number 9 scored in injury time after the opposing goalkeeper deflected a tight cross from midfielder Vitinho. The last of these happened on February 1, in the final of the Supercopa do Brasil, against Flamengo, in Brasília, at the Mané Garrincha Stadium.

On that occasion, the forward received a pass from Kaio César in midfield, faced Rossi one-on-one, and lobbed the Rubro Negro goalkeeper to score the second goal of the victory that secured the club from Parque do São Jorge the tournament's bicampeonato. Yuri Alberto's last goal for Alvinegro in Itaquera happened on November 20, 2025, when he scored two goals in Corinthians' 3-1 victory over São Paulo, in the final stretch of the last Brasileirão.

This was also his last goal for Corinthians in the Brazilian Championship until then. If he scores this Sunday, it will be his 50th goal wearing the Corinthians jersey at Itaquera – a stadium where he is the top scorer since its inauguration in 2014. The second place is Ángel Romero, who has already left the club, with 49 goals in 110 games.

It's worth remembering that Yuri Alberto returned to play only last Thursday (19), against Chapecoense, at Arena Condá, for the seventh round of the Brazilian Championship. Against the team from Santa Catarina, he played the full 90 minutes and took the field for the first time since February 15, when he left with muscle pain in the victory over São Bernardo FC, by 1-0, in the last round of the first phase of the Paulistão. On that occasion, he was brought on in the second half, stayed on the field for 10 minutes, and was replaced by defender Gabriel Paulista. After exams, he was diagnosed with a grade 2 injury in the left thigh's biceps femoris.

The striker was signed by Corinthians in mid-2022, initially coming on loan from Zenit, Russia. At the beginning of 2023, he was permanently bought in a deal involving five players. Since then, he has accumulated 79 goals and 22 assists in 217 matches for Alvinegro (185 as a starter) – 96 wins, 56 draws, and 65 losses.

In 2024, he was the top scorer in Brazil with 31 goals scored – 15 of them in the Brazilian Championship, where he was the top scorer. That year, he was crucial in the team's surge in the national competition (from the relegation zone to the Libertadores qualifiers). Last year and at the start of 2026, he played a key role in winning the Campeonato Paulista, Copa do Brasil, and Supercopa, against Palmeiras, Vasco da Gama, and Flamengo, respectively, scoring in these three finals.

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