Cruzeiro v Corinthians: strikers set the stage for Copa do Brasil showdown | OneFootball

Cruzeiro and Corinthians face each other this Sunday in what will be a preview of the Copa do Brasil semifinals. The match is scheduled for 8:30 PM (Brasília time), at Mineirão, in Belo Horizonte (MG), for the 35th round of the Campeonato Brasileiro.

Corinthians and Cruzeiro will play the Copa do Brasil semifinal. The first leg takes place on December 10 (Wednesday), at Mineirão, at 9:30 PM. Meanwhile, the decisive match is set for 6:00 PM on December 14 (Sunday), at Neo Química Arena.

The clash promises a special duel between the two main scorers of the teams. Kaio Jorge and Yuri Alberto were the protagonists in Cruzeiro and Corinthians’ matches in the 34th round of the Brasileirão, against Juventude and São Paulo, respectively. Now, the question is which star will shine brighter this Sunday.

Yuri Alberto becomes the ‘king of derbies’ and reaches a milestone with Timão

Yuri Alberto shined in the match against São Paulo by scoring two goals, helping Corinthians secure the victory. Timão’s number 9 opened the scoring and, already in the final stretch of the match, sealed the 3-1 win. The striker even earned the nickname, from some fans, of “king of derbies.”

The Corinthians striker has found the net eight times in 12 derbies played this season. According to Sofascore data, he needed just 128 minutes to be involved in a goal and posted a 56% conversion rate on clear chances, in addition to tallying 27 shots (12 on target).

Just this year, Yuri Alberto scored four goals against Santos, two goals against Palmeiras (one of them in the Paulista Championship final), and two against São Paulo. The number 9 thus showed personality and seems to have fully regained his confidence after the missed chipped penalty against Flamengo.

The center forward also reached an important milestone for Corinthians with the two goals scored in the victory over São Paulo. He became the club’s third-highest scorer in the Campeonato Brasileiro, matching Sócrates’ numbers. That’s 41 goals in 107 matches in the competition.

Kaio Jorge boasts Brasileirão top scorer status

On the other side, Cruzeiro has none other than the top scorer of the Campeonato Brasileiro: Kaio Jorge. The striker led Raposa’s comeback midweek against Juventude, scoring twice in the 3-3 draw at Alfredo Jaconi.

If Cruzeiro still has – albeit slim – chances of winning the Série A title, much is down to Leonardo Jardim’s work, but also to Kaio Jorge’s feet. The player was signed in July 2024 and has hit his stride this season. He already has 24 goals and seven assists.

With the two goals against Juventude, Kaio Jorge once again pulled ahead in the Brasileirão scoring charts, with 19 goals – one more than Arrascaeta and three more than Vitor Roque.

The Cruzeiro striker is having, in 2025, the most prolific season of his career. Until now, his best year as a professional had been in 2021, with Santos, when he scored nine goals.

Kaio Jorge could shine for Cruzeiro (Photo: Lucas Bubols/Cruzeiro)

Yuri Alberto vs. Kaio Jorge: season stats

Corinthians’ position in the table

With the win over São Paulo, Corinthians is once again dreaming of a Libertadores spot through the Brasileirão. Timão sits in tenth place, with 45 points – eight behind Bahia, who currently hold the last G7 spot.

Corinthians’ upcoming matches

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