Corinthians suffers defeat against Flamengo and risks entering the Z4 of Brasileirão – Gazeta Esportiva

Flamengo Dominates 1st Half

Corinthians made the first dangerous attempt in the game. Four minutes in, Fagner took a corner kick, and Paulinho headed the ball towards the goal, forcing Rossi to make a crucial save to deny Corinthians the opening goal.

From that moment on, Flamengo took control. Shortly after, De La Cruz crossed the ball to the far post, and Léo Pereira’s header narrowly missed the target, grazing the post. Not long after, Lorran capitalized on Corinthians’ defensive error, received the ball inside the box, took a low shot, but the Corinthians goalkeeper was well positioned to make the save. Then, Ayrton Lucas took a shot from long range after a corner kick, hitting the woodwork.

Carlos Miguel was Corinthians’ standout performer in the first half. At 17 minutes, Everton Cebolinha also attempted a long-range shot, forcing the Timão goalkeeper to produce another excellent save.

Pedro Opens the Scoring

However, the breakthrough came at the 20th minute mark. Lorran assisted Pedro, who outsmarted a defender with a dummy shot, leaving the opponent on the ground, and slotted the ball home with a precise finish, taking advantage of Carlos Miguel’s mistake as the ball slipped under his arm to score a fantastic goal.

Cebolinha had another chance to score his goal after a brilliant individual run from the defensive end to the edge of the box, where he placed a curling shot, but saw Carlos Miguel make another spectacular save.

Teams Make Changes at Half-time

Corinthians returned for the second half with a more offensive formation. Coach António Oliveira replaced midfielder Paulinho with forward Yuri Alberto. Meanwhile, Flamengo brought on Gabigol for Pedro, the home team’s goalscorer who suffered a muscle injury towards the end of the first half.

It was Corinthians who posed a real threat in the second half. In the 13th minute, Garro delivered a cross into the box, and Yuri Alberto’s firm header forced Rossi to make a reflex save. On the rebound, Félix Torres nodded the ball to Cacá, who unleashed a powerful shot from close range, but the Flamengo goalkeeper once again made a brilliant point-blank save to deny the equalizer.

Flamengo Extends Lead

Flamengo quickly responded and extended their lead at Maracanã. At the 18th minute, Lorran dispossessed Cacá in Flamengo’s attacking half, Gerson picked up the loose ball and laid it off for the 17-year-old talent, who struck first-time, leaving Carlos Miguel with no chance.

With Flamengo leading 2-0, Corinthians had to push forward even more in search of a goal, or perhaps an equalizer. As a result, António Oliveira made substitutions, bringing on Coronado and Gustavo Mosquito for Cacá and Romero. Later, Léo Mana and Biro replaced Fagner and Romero, but the changes had minimal impact.

Although Corinthians spent more time in the attacking half, Flamengo maintained their defensive solidity to restrict their opponents and tactically managed their lead to secure the victory at Maracanã.

MATCH DETAILS
FLAMENGO 2 X 0 CORINTHIANS

Location: Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro
Date: May 11, 2024, Saturday
Time: 4:00 pm (Brasilia Time)
Referee: Ramon Abatti Abel (FIFA-SC)
Assistants: Alex dos Santos (SC) and Thiaggo Americano Labes (SC)
VAR: Rodolpho Toski Marques (VAR FIFA – PR)

Goals: Pedro 20′ 1st Half, Lorran 18′ 2nd Half (Flamengo)
Yellow Cards: Romero (Corinthians); Léo Pereira (Flamengo)

FLAMENGO: Rossi; Varela, Fabrício Bruno, Léo Pereira, and Ayrton Lucas; Allan, De La Cruz (Victor Hugo), Lorran (Léo Ortiz); Gerson, Everton Cebolinha (Luiz Araújo), and Pedro (Gabigol).
Coach: Tite.

CORINTHIANS: Carlos Miguel; Félix Torres, Gustavo Henrique, and Cacá (Coronado); Fágner (Léo Mana), Paulinho (Yuri Alberto), Breno Bidon, Rodrigo Garro (Biro), and Hugo; Romero (Gustavo Mosquito) and Wesley.
Coach: António Oliveira.