Corinthians look to reassert themselves at home against Cruzeiro to reach Copa do Brasil final

THE Corinthians surprised Cruzeiro with a 1-0 victory at Mineirão and hope to use the strength of the crowd at the Neo Química Arena, starting at 6 p.m. this Sunday, to reach the final of the Brazilian Cup. Although this has caused a considerable amount of frustration for fans playing at home throughout this season, the team led by Dorival Júnior played the knockout tournament in another rotation and inspires confidence even in those who witnessed the team’s terrible matches at the Brasileirão.

Between August 2024 and April 2025, Corinthians went 23 games without losing at Itaquera, until the 2-1 defeat against Huracán in the first round of the Sudamericana, a championship from which they ended up being eliminated in the first phase. In the current season, the home team’s performance is 58.33%: 21 wins, nine draws and six losses.

A draw against Cruzeiro would not be a problem as it would also guarantee the black and white ranking, but such missteps serve as a warning. A defeat by goal difference brings the decision to penalties, and the Cruzeirenses go into the standings with a greater advantage than that. The sextet of those capable of defeating Corinthians at Neo Química this season is made up of Huracán, Fluminense, Red Bull Bragantino, Bahia, Flamengo and Ceará.

The last impressions left at home were not the best, although they did not end in defeat. The 2–2 and 1–1 draws against Botafogo and Juventude, respectively, were poorly digested by the fans and contributed to the team’s decline in the Brazilian Championship standings, to the point of finishing the championship behind rival Santos, who fought not to be relegated for most of the year.

Even if it helps to qualify, a draw is not Dorival Júnior’s goal, as they do not want to protect their advantage as a mainstay in the second leg. “Honestly, it’s a very important advantage, but if we enter the field thinking of defending it, we are going to take a very big risk. We have to be aware that we will need something more to be able to consolidate our ranking.”

Dorival could make changes to Corinthians, depending on the physical condition of certain players. One of the doubts is whether Rodrigo Garro, recently recovered from a muscle strain in the sole of his right leg, will return to the starting lineup after starting the first match on the bench. Yuri Alberto left unwell for Mineirão and there is doubt. Raniele, who suffered from swelling in his left ankle during a duel with Juventude, remains on the bench at most.

Copa do Brasil champion in 2010 (Santos), 2022 (Flamengo) and 2023 (São Paulo), the Corinthians coach aims to equal Felipão as coach with the most titles in the tournament. Corinthians is also looking for a fourth title, which would allow it to match the number of achievements of its rival Palmeiras, currently fourth team on the list of greatest champions, behind Grêmio and Flamengo, who share second place, with five cups.

The biggest champion is Cruzeiro, sixth in the Copa do Brasil, but without winning it since 2018, when they beat Corinthians in the final. After the disappointment of losing at home, even more as a favorite after the 3-0 defeat of Corinthians at the Brasileirão and because of the good time they experienced, the team led by Leonardo Jardim tries to repeat what they did away in the other phases of the tournament.

The Cruzeirenses beat Vila Nova in Goiânia, CRB in Alagoas and rival Atlético-MG at the Arena MRV. The away match against Atlético took place in the first round. The other two were on their way back, but the celestial team didn’t lose any of them.

Jardim will have to make do without two players in the squad, who were injured in the first match. Defender Villalba suffered a ligament injury in his left ankle and is out of Sunday’s decider. Midfielder Lucas Romero was absent as he received a third yellow card.

“We have certain players who are going to play, unlike these two. We have Wallace, we have Henrique, who can play that role. We also have, as far as Villalba is concerned, Jonathan, who played the second 45 minutes. That doesn’t worry me because the team, throughout the season, has already shown that, one way or another, we have players to replace these players,” said the coach.