Corinthians end first round second in Campeonato Paulista

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Central do Timão

·12 de janeiro de 2026

Corinthians end first round second in Campeonato Paulista

By Henrique Pereira / Central do Timão Editorial Team

Corinthians started the 2026 Campeonato Paulista on the right foot. On Sunday afternoon, Timão defeated Ponte Preta 3-0 at the Neo Química Arena, securing their first three points in the state competition. With the victory, the alvinegro team finished the opening round in second place on the table.

The start of the Paulistão split the clubs into three groups: winners, those who drew, and losers. Besides Corinthians, only five other teams won their debut matches: São Bernardo, Mirassol, Santos, Palmeiras, and Red Bull Bragantino. São Bernardo took the provisional lead in the championship after thrashing Capivariano 4-0, achieving the best goal difference among the teams with three points and surpassing Timão in the standings.

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Photo: Rodrigo Coca/Ag. Corinthians

Mirassol, who defeated São Paulo 3-0, matched Corinthians in all tiebreaker criteria. Therefore, although they appear in third place, the club from the countryside also shares the runner-up spot with the team from Parque São Jorge.

Among the teams that drew and earned one point, Primavera is the best placed, occupying seventh position. Right behind are Guarani, Velo Clube, and Botafogo de Ribeirão Preto, all with the same points and separated only by tiebreaker criteria.

At the bottom of the table are the teams that failed to score in the opening round. Novorizontino, Noroeste, Portuguesa, São Paulo, Ponte Preta, and Capivariano all started the championship with a loss and are under pressure to react in the upcoming matches.

The 2026 edition of the Campeonato Paulista marks the implementation of a new competition format. In the first phase, the 16 teams face each other over eight rounds, in a single general classification. At the end of this stage, the top eight advance to the knockout rounds, while the bottom two will be relegated to Série A2.

In the knockout stage, the quarterfinals and semifinals will be decided in a single match, with home advantage for the team with the better record. The final will be played over two legs, and the team with the best performance throughout the tournament will have the right to decide the title at home.

Corinthians return to the pitch next Thursday, the 15th, when they face Red Bull Bragantino at 7:30 pm at the Estádio Municipal de Bragança Paulista, for the second round of the Campeonato Paulista.

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