Corinthians beat Cruzeiro 1 x 0 this Wednesday (10/12), in Mineirão, in a duel valid for the first leg of the semi-final of the Copa do Brasil. On Minas Gerais soil, Dutch star Memphis Depay shone by scoring in the first half. During the press conference, Dorival Júnior spoke of the victory against the celestial opponent but aimed for a difficult confrontation for the return to the Neo Química Arena.
“Cruzeiro is a team with a lot of qualities, so we can’t be too careful and we have to be attentive for the match on Sunday. We had a good first half, just like them, it was a very similar match. We will definitely have a very similar match this weekend. Honestly, it’s a very important advantage, but if we play with that in mind we will have a lot of difficulties,” said the coach.
The São Paulo team has “hit the post” several times in recent years during knockout tournaments. In the Copa do Brasil, the São Paulo team fell in the last two semi-finals, in addition to finishing second in the competition behind Flamengo in 2022. Regarding this streak of elimination in the final stages of tournaments, Dorival said that the team is aware of it and that these falls serve as motivation for the group:
“It’s a special tournament for the team since our first result. We approach every match as if it were a decision, and that’s how we got important advantages like in the match against Athletico-PR, and then we kept it at the Neoquímica Arena. The players realized in recent years the difficulties they had and how much they regretted leaving important competitions and that’s very good. We have to build a better Corinthians and stronger,” he stressed.
Corinthians arrive for the second leg against Cruzeiro at the Neo Química Arena with a 16-match unbeaten run in the Copa do Brasil. Concerning this brand, Dorival gave his opinion on the realization as principal:
“There’s a lot of emotion, a lot of feeling of being in front of your home crowd. Few people believed that we would get the result we got here today. That’s why we have to believe in the group, we can’t disperse this atmosphere. We have to be aware that the weekend’s match will be even more difficult and that the result is completely uncertain,” he said.
Still talking about the first match, Dorival spoke about the Corinthians fans’ support for Mineirão and told fans what to expect for the second leg:
“The harmony was special. As soon as we finished the Brazilian Championship we had concerns because we didn’t get some of the results we expected. There was a much greater concentration. The participation of the fans, the commitment of everyone was very important for the result. At home we need them at all times and we will get the ranking, God willing.”
The teams will face each other again this Sunday (14/12), at 6 p.m., at the Neo Química Arena, in a duel that will decide access to the grand final of the Copa do Brasil. Corinthians are one goal ahead for the match.
This Thursday (11/12), Vasco faces Fluminense at 8 p.m., at the Maracanã, in a match which opens the other semi-final of the competition. The first person responsible for the Rio de Janeiro classic is Gigante da Colina.
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