How André Ramalho won back his starting spot at Corinthians | OneFootball

Dorival Júnior decided to make changes to the defensive system of Corinthians and replaced João Pedro Tchoca with André Ramalho in the first leg of the semifinal of the Copa do Brasil against Cruzeiro. And the change had an effect. Timão played a solid match, won the game 1-0 at Mineirão, and gained an advantage in the matchup.

The change by Dorival surprised some fans. Tchoca, although young, was on the rise, while Ramalho was experiencing a downturn.

In a press conference after the match last Wednesday, Dorival justified the return of the experienced defender. He emphasized that he does not have the profile of discarding players “overnight” and prefers to “believe” in a recovery.

The coach also stressed that João Pedro, despite being benched, is not out of the plans and can be used at any moment.

“Ramalho returned, but that doesn't mean I'm discarding Tchoca. He's a young player who is growing and can be used at any moment,” said Dorival.

“You can't discard a professional overnight. That's not how the system works, the day-to-day of a club. We have to be responsible in every action. People discard quickly, and this happens very easily in our country. I prefer to believe until the last moment, unless he shows me signs that he doesn't want it. I believe in the human being, and I'm sure no one unlearns,” he explained.

Ramalho vs Tchoca

With Cacá under suspicion and Félix Torres sidelined, André Ramalho and João Pedro Tchoca have been engaged in a good contest for a spot in Corinthians' defense. The only one considered an absolute starter is Gustavo Henrique.

Ramalho, 33, has played 41 times this season, starting 37 of those matches. Tchoca, on the other hand, started in 24 out of the 28 games played in 2025. The 21-year-old has also scored a goal and provided an assist.

Next Corinthians Match

Matchup Situation

With the 1-0 victory in the first leg, Corinthians plays for a draw in the second match at Neo Química Arena to advance to the Copa do Brasil final. A defeat by one goal difference will take the match to penalties. A loss by two or more goals will qualify Cruzeiro.

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