Author: Vishwajit Sawant
In the Brasileirão, Fortaleza secured fourth place after drawing their last match. Meanwhile, Yuri Alberto’s long-awaited goal allowed Corinthians to climb out of the relegation zone. The match took place at the Neo Química Arena as part of the fourth round of the tournament.
Yuri Alberto’s decisive goal saved Corinthians from a draw in their recent Brasileirão match against Fortaleza, preventing the away side from claiming their first win in history. The draw also ended Corinthians’ run of three consecutive defeats, as well as Yuri Alberto’s personal run of nine games without scoring.
Vanderlei Luxemburgo fielded Corinthians in a 4-3-3 formation for the match against Fortaleza. Róger Guedes took up the No9 position, with Pedro and Adson occupying the wings. The home side started the game with a midfield strategy, choosing not to press Fortaleza. Despite having possession of the ball, the away side struggled to penetrate the Corinthians’ defense.
Throughout the first half, Corinthians had the best chances to score. Roni and Fausto Vera tried shots from outside the area that troubled Fernando Miguel, but it was Fagner who came closest to scoring. In the final moments of the match, the right-back received a pass from Fausto Vera and unleashed a powerful shot towards goal, which ended up hitting the crossbar.
After a goalless first half, Corinthians made a change at the break, bringing on Guilherme Biro in place of Pedro. The substitution paid off, as Biro made a quick impact, creating moves for Róger Guedes, who failed to score. Fortaleza, on the other hand, dominated possession but struggled to penetrate the Corinthians defense.
In the second half, Fortaleza made significant tactical changes that resulted in greater pressure on Corinthians. They even managed to score in the 79th minute, when Caio Alexandre netted after a pass from Silvio Romero. However, the VAR disallowed the goal due to Romero’s offside position.
Fortaleza continued to press and eventually scored in the 86th minute, when Caio Alexandre hit a shot from the edge of the box past Cássio. Corinthians responded quickly, with Yuri Alberto scoring the equalizer in the 88th minute after Fernando Miguel collided with Bruno Pacheco. Róger Guedes had the chance to give Corinthians the lead in injury time, but failed to convert the opportunity.