Gabriel Barbosa on missed penalty v Corinthians, bond with Hugo Souza

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Central do Timão

·20 dicembre 2025

Gabriel Barbosa on missed penalty v Corinthians, bond with Hugo Souza

By Mirella Ramos | Central do Timão Editorial Team

Corinthians’ qualification for the Copa do Brasil final had as one of its highlights Hugo Souza’s save in the penalty shootout against Cruzeiro. After the elimination, striker Gabriel Barbosa spoke about the match in an interview with PodPah, acknowledged his mistake in the penalty kick, and commented on the context surrounding the duel with the goalkeeper from the alvinegro team.

According to the Cruzeiro player, the penalty kick was more difficult due to the mutual knowledge between the two athletes, built over years of playing together at Flamengo. Gabriel took responsibility for the kick and avoided any technical or emotional excuses for the error.

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“It’s a very complicated penalty for both sides, for me and for Hugo. We trained together for practically five or six years, so it’s very complicated. And there’s no excuse, I missed, I take responsibility for that. He knows the way I take penalties, I also know what he could do. But, one way or another, I took the penalty badly,” the player began.

The striker also talked about the contacts he had with Corinthians players after the spot in the final was decided. According to him, there was a conversation with Yuri Alberto right after the match, as well as an exchange of messages with Hugo Souza in the following days, in a tone of respect and recognition for the result.

“Yuri came to talk to me after I missed the penalty. I said: ‘Man, congratulations.’ Then he said: ‘Don’t be like that.’ I said: ‘No, thank you, congratulations.’ Then a narrative was created that I congratulated him. Another day, Hugo sent me a message. He’s my friend. He said: ‘One of us had to lose.’ Because if I scored the goal, the blame would be on Yuri Alberto. So, he told me: ‘What a shame and all, but take care, stay well.’ There’s no reason for us to pretend we’re not friends. I talk to several players from other teams,” he commented.

During the interview, Gabriel Barbosa highlighted the importance of athletes who stay for long periods at their clubs, creating a bond with the fans and taking on a leading role in sports. Among the examples mentioned, he cited players from different Brazilian football teams, including Corinthians.

“I really root for the guys who have been there a long time to stay. There was the Hulk situation at Atlético Mineiro. I said: ‘I hope he stays.’ With Cássio, I also hoped he would stay at Corinthians; Luciano has been at São Paulo for a long time; and I hope Yuri Alberto stays at Corinthians, because these are the players who need to have this responsibility of wanting to change what has always been done, to create a relationship with the team,” he said.

The striker also commented on the Corinthians goal in the first leg of the semifinal, played at Mineirão, which raised questions about a possible handball by Memphis Depay. For Gabriel, the video analysis clarifies the play, although it was not noticed by the players on the field at the time.

“It was a handball, you can’t argue with the footage. The CBF didn’t have the footage, that’s why it wasn’t disallowed. I didn’t see (the hand), no one complained. Fabrício Bruno was in the play and didn’t complain; Cássio, who fell to the other side, didn’t see it either,” he stated.

With Cruzeiro’s elimination, Corinthians advanced to the Copa do Brasil final to face Vasco da Gama. The first leg of the final ended in a goalless draw at Neo Química Arena, and the return match takes place this Sunday (21st), at 6 pm (Brasília time), at Maracanã. Timão is seeking their fourth title, after winning in 1995, 2002, and 2009.

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