Makeshift Corinthians grind out 0-0 with Athletico-PR at Itaquera | OneFootball

On the night of this Thursday (30), Corinthians took the field at Neo Química Arena to face Athletico-PR in a match valid for the 21st round of the Brazilian Championship and drew 0-0. With the result, the Corinthians side moves up, provisionally, to eighth place with 29 points — seven wins, eight draws, and six losses — with 22 goals scored and 20 conceded.

The Corinthians coaching staff had the following absences for the match: left-backs Hugo Farias (in physical transition after recovering from knee cruciate ligament surgery), Fabrizio Angileri (suspended after a third yellow card) and Matheus Bidu (pain in the pubic region, did not train this Wednesday), midfielder Vitinho (left knee meniscus surgery), in addition to forwards Kayke Ferrari (recovering from cruciate ligament surgery), Pedro Raul (pubic pain) and Memphis Depay (in the final stretch of his vacation and still negotiating a contract renewal). Defensive midfielder Alex Santana was not included in the squad — he had already missed the last match, away against Bahia in the national tournament, due to knee trauma.

Photo: Rodrigo Coca/Agência Corinthians

Given that, coach Fernando Diniz chose to start the match with: Hugo Souza; Pedro Milans, André Ramalho, Raniele and Matheuzinho; Allan, Matheus Pereira (Breno Bidon), André Carrillo (André Luiz) and Zakaria Labyad (Kaio César); Dieguinho (Yuri Alberto (Rodrigo Garro) and Jesse Lingard.

The bench options were: Kauê Camargo, Gabriel Paulista, Iago Machado, João Pedro Tchoca, Gustavo Henrique, Charles, André Luiz, Breno Bidon, Rodrigo Garro, Gui Negão, Kaio César and Yuri Alberto.

Athletico-PR lineup

Coach Odair Hellmann started the match with the following lineup: Santos; Benavídez, Carlos Terán, Arthur Dias and Gilberto Moraes; Portilla, Jadson and Claudinho; Leozinho, Stiven Mendoza and Kevin Viveros.

The substitutes were: Matheus Soares, Gilberto do Santos, Léo, Felipinho, Léo Derik, João Cruz, Zapelli, Isaac, Rivaldo, Aguirre, Dudu and Renan Peixoto.

Officiating

The referee was Paulo Cesar Zanovelli da Silva, assisted by Nailton Junior de Sousa Oliveira and Thiaggo Americano Labes. The fourth official and the VAR were, respectively, Emerson Souza Silva and Paulo Renato Moreira da Silva Coelho.

Next match

Corinthians now turns its focus back to the round of 16 of the Copa do Brasil. Next Sunday (2), at 7:30 p.m. (Brasília time), Timão will face Internacional at Beira-Rio Stadium in the first leg of the aforementioned round of the national knockout tournament. The second match will take place on Sunday (6), at 8 p.m., at Neo Química Arena.

First half

The opening minutes of the first half between Corinthians and Athletico-PR saw the Corinthians side trying to keep greater control of possession, mainly down the right flank, even with an alternative lineup. One of the positional changes was Raniele playing as a center-back and Matheuzinho filling in at left-back, since all three players for that role were unavailable. Timão did not start the match with a natural center-forward on the field.

After five minutes, the match was cautious. Both teams, when in possession, circulated the ball from their defensive half up to midfield. By the 10th minute, the Paraná side began to even out possession a bit more, but still without breaking through Timão’s marking. Neither goalkeeper had been tested up to that point.

In the 12th minute came the first chance of the game. Alvinegro made a mistake playing out from the back on the left with Allan and Raniele. Leozinho reached the byline and sent in a low cross, but Hugo Souza deflected it toward the middle of the box and the Corinthians defense cleared it away! Four minutes later, Athletico-PR had a free kick in midfield on the right side of attack. On the rehearsed play between Stiven Mendoza and Leozinho, the Colombian crossed and Matheus Pereira cleared.

Right after that, Claudinho, on the left, made an individual move, got past his marker and, when he crossed, saw Matheuzinho clear it for a throw-in. Then Timão responded with a counterattack. Labyad received on the left and spotted Dieguinho through the middle. Wearing number 61, he won the challenge with his marker and, with a deflection, shot into goalkeeper Santos’ hands.

In the 19th minute, Matheuzinho, cutting inside, received a pass from Matheus Pereira and was brought down by Leozinho. From the free kick in midfield, he himself sent the ball into the box and the Athletico-PR defense cleared it. Four minutes later came Corinthians’ first dangerous chance! Dieguinho received on the right and passed to Allan, who crossed with his left foot with pinpoint accuracy onto Matheuzinho’s head, but goalkeeper Santos made a great save! On the rebound, he saved again, this time without much trouble!

Shortly afterward, Mendoza would have gone one-on-one with Hugo Souza, but he committed a foul while challenging center-back André Ramalho. At the halfway point of the first half, the contest was balanced and cautious. Both teams began to explore attacking moves more after a less eventful start. In the 28th minute, Corinthians pushed its entire press up into Athletico’s defensive half and Lingard nearly managed to steal the ball from goalkeeper Santos. Moments later, Raniele fouled Leozinho in the attacking midfield area.

In the 30th minute, Corinthians recovered the ball in its defensive half and tried to break down the left through Jesse Lingard, who was cleanly dispossessed by center-back Terán. Right after that, Claudinho received a lofted ball at the byline and was even brought down by Milans inside the box, but the referee waved play on.

With 35 minutes played, the match became more bogged down again, with many misplaced passes, especially from midfield forward. Three minutes later, Corinthians almost got itself into trouble while playing out from the back. Raniele passed back to Hugo Souza, who played a very long ball to André Ramalho. Wearing number 5, he prevented the ball from going out for a throw-in, but it ended up falling to an Athletico-PR player; Raniele anticipated the pass toward the edge of the box and cleared the danger far away.

At 40 minutes, Gilberto received on the right and crossed toward the left side of the box, where Mendoza was. Wearing number 7, he laid it back and Matheus Pereira cleared. Three minutes later, Athletico-PR tried an attack down the right with Gilberto, but Corinthians’ marking intercepted the attempted pass inside.

When the clock reached 48 minutes, the match was stopped for three minutes because of a scuffle involving Matheuzinho and Benavídez. Four more minutes were added. In the closing stages of the first half, Zakaria Labyad, after a challenge on the left, twisted his knee and immediately asked to be substituted. The referee ended the first half shortly afterward.

Second half

To start the second half, coach Fernando Diniz brought on Kaio César and Yuri Alberto in place of Zakaria Labyad and Dieguinho, respectively. The opening minutes of the second half saw Athletico-PR push up its press and try to create difficulties for the Corinthians side.

In the second minute, Viveros tried to win a challenge with Raniele on the left and ended up fouling number 14. Shortly after, André Ramalho miskicked a clearance while trying to cover on the left, but the play was then brought under control. After seven minutes, Kaio César tried an individual move down the left and was fouled.

With almost 10 minutes gone in the second half, the picture was the same as in the first. Corinthians and Athletico-PR were playing a hard-fought match, but without forcing major saves from the goalkeepers. Shortly afterward, Yuri Alberto got in behind after a pass from Matheus Pereira, beat Terán in the challenge, and shot straight at Santos. The play, however, was stopped for offside.

In the 16th minute, Corinthians recovered the ball in its own half and, down the right, André Carrillo found Yuri Alberto free on the left, but number 9 misplaced the pass in midfield. Soon after, Kaio César received it on the right wing, cut onto his left foot and fired straight wide of Santos’ goal! Two minutes later, Timão won a corner on the right. Matheus Pereira took it, curling in, but sent it straight out.

In the 20th minute, Corinthians regained the ball in midfield through Raniele and Matheuzinho. Number 2 quickly looked for Yuri Alberto, who shifted onto his right foot and struck a placed shot, but Santos parried it away for a corner! From the corner on the right, the opposing defense cleared. Shortly afterward, Timão’s number 9 received it over Allan and hit a scuffed effort, which Santos again saved and tipped behind.

Right after that, Matheuzinho took the corner and André Ramalho tried to head it, but the rival defense cleared! In the 23rd minute, defensive midfielder Raniele made an individual run down the left, got past the markers, and won a corner from the same side. On the delivery toward the far post, André Ramalho nodded it back into the middle of the box, but the Athletico-PR defense cleared.

Shortly afterward, Athletico-PR tried to threaten through set pieces. From a corner kick from the right, Gilberto got a touch and Viveros headed it onto the crossbar. In the 29th minute, Timão tried to counterattack; Lingard got in behind, was brought down, appealed for a foul, but nothing was given. In the following minute, Matheus Pereira and Yuri Alberto, injured after feeling his thigh, left the field for Breno Bidon and Rodrigo Garro, respectively.

At 35, Viveros, in an offside position, got in behind the defense and, when trying to square it for a teammate to tap into the net, saw Hugo Souza intercept and then play out from the back. At 37, Corinthians made its final change: André Carrillo left the field and André Luiz came on. Shortly afterward, Dudu received it at the byline on the right and Raniele, getting the ball, sent it out for a corner.

João Cruz delivered toward the middle of the box and Pedro Milan cleared. Timão still tried to launch a counterattack with André Luiz, who played Garro in at the byline on the left. Wearing number 8, he was brought down and appealed for a foul, but nothing was given. When the clock hit 45, eight more minutes were added.

In the first minute of stoppage time, the Paraná side threatened. João Cruz received on the left and shot toward Hugo Souza’s corner, and the goalkeeper parried it. On the rebound, Raniele still cleared a low cross into the six-yard box. In the final moments, Corinthians tried to press, but Athletico-PR, well set up defensively, had the upper hand.

At 49, Pedro Milans won a corner on the right after being played in at the byline. Garro, however, curled it in too close, straight into goalkeeper Santos’ hands. Two minutes later, the opponent tried to counter down the left with João Cruz, but the midfielder’s cross, curling in, went straight into goalkeeper Hugo Souza’s hands.

At 53 minutes, full-time: Corinthians 0-0 Athletico-PR.

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