Corinthians bank on youngster and 'ex-player curse' vs Flamengo | OneFootball

Corinthians will face a tough challenge ahead. Currently in tenth place, Timão hosts league leaders Flamengo this Sunday, starting at 8:30 pm (Brasília time), at Neo Química Arena, in a match valid for the 25th round of the Brazilian Championship.

The São Paulo side will be up against the best defense in Serie A and knows it will be difficult to break through the opponent’s defensive line. On top of that, Corinthians’ forwards are experiencing long goal droughts. That’s why the team is betting on two main factors: the return of Gui Negão and the ‘ex-player rule’.

Gui Negão is currently the main hope for goals in Corinthians’ attack. The youngster had to serve a suspension against Sport due to an accumulation of yellow cards, but is now available to coach Dorival Júnior for the clash against Flamengo and is even expected to start.

The number 56 had a rapid rise in Corinthians’ senior team. The center forward started getting more opportunities during Yuri Alberto’s absence, who was recovering from an inguinal hernia surgery. During that period, he took over the position and caught Dorival’s attention.

Gui Negão got his first chance as a starter against Ceará. Since then, the 18-year-old has played eight more matches, contributing four goals and one assist. The striker was also decisive in helping Corinthians reach the semifinals of the Copa do Brasil.

Gui Negão’s return gives hope to Corinthians (Photo: Rodrigo Coca/Agência Corinthians)

The tendency now is for the youngster to play alongside Yuri Alberto, who is fully recovered from surgery and is also expected to start this Sunday. With Memphis definitely out (thigh edema), Gui Negão is seen by fans as the best option to replace the Dutchman, since Romero and Talles Magno, as well as Yuri himself, are also experiencing personal goal droughts.

Romero hasn’t found the net in five months. The Paraguayan striker last scored on April 24 this year, when he netted the winner against Racing-URU in the group stage of the Copa Sudamericana. Talles Magno, meanwhile, hasn’t scored in two months—his last goal was in the 1-0 win over Ceará on July 16.

Yuri Alberto, for his part, is also going through a goal drought. Corinthians’ number 9 hasn’t scored in four months. His last goal was on May 21, in the 1-0 win over Novorizontino in the Copa do Brasil.

‘Ex-player rule’ is also a bet for Timão

The famous ‘ex-player rule’ is also one of Corinthians’ bets to try to come away with a win against Flamengo. Currently, Timão has four players who have previously played for the Rio side: Hugo Souza, Matheuzinho, Gustavo Henrique, and Vitinho.

This will actually be the first time Vitinho faces Flamengo wearing the Corinthians shirt. For the Gávea team, the striker racked up 29 goals and 33 assists in 214 matches.

Vitinho will thus be looking for his first goal for Corinthians against his former club. He last found the net in May this year, when he was still playing for Al-Etiffaq in Saudi Arabia.

Corinthians is coming off a defeat to bottom-placed Sport and is looking to respond to the fans. Last Friday, it’s worth noting, members of three of Timão’s main organized supporter groups visited the Dr. Joaquim Grava training center and demanded better results from the squad.

Vitinho tries to make the ‘ex-player rule’ count to help Corinthians (Photo: Rodrigo Coca/Agência Corinthians)

‘Ungrateful’ mission

The strikers’ goal drought could be a major difficulty for Corinthians. That’s because Flamengo has the best defense in the Brazilian Championship, by a wide margin over second place. In 23 matches in the competition, the Rio side has conceded only 11 goals.

Timão’s attack in this edition of Serie A has also been inconsistent, just like the team as a whole. Corinthians averages one goal per match, with 24 goals scored in 24 rounds.

Corinthians to debut third kit against Flamengo

Corinthians will debut its new third kit in the match against Flamengo. The shirt is black with orange details, a color also applied to the badge and the Nike logo. The model follows the Total 90 collection line, popular in the 2000s and relaunched by the sportswear supplier.

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Upcoming Corinthians matches

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