With the result, Timão scores 11 points, isolates itself at the top of the bracket and sees qualification for the round of 16
O Corinthians guaranteed a leadership of Group E of Libertadores with the 1-1 draw with the Penarolat the Campeón del Siglo Stadium, in Montevideo, this Thursday (21). Zakaria Labyad saved the team score the first goal for the club after eight month fast. The Moroccan’s last goal was for Dalian Yingbo, from China.
The result leaves the Corinthians team with 11 points and unable to be reached by Platense. O Penarol and flashlightwith three, and no longer has a chance of qualifying for the round of 16but still fight for the South American playoff.
For much of the game, Corinthians reserves failed to match the Uruguayanswho dominated the first half and could have done more than the 1-0 built with Maximiliano Oliveira. Hugo Souza missed two goals, but had the second canceled for impediment. With insistence and supported by the individuality of Kaio César, who assisted Labyad, the black and white team managed to draw. The failures were not limited to the goalkeeper, with lots of passing errors that prevented a turnaround from being achieved.
O Platense will be the adversary do Corinthians at the end of the Libertadores group stageday 27. On Tuesday (19), Santa Fe defeated the Argentine team, but did not surpass them, as they have two points less (seven against five).
For the Brazilian Championship, Corinthians hosts Atlético-MG on Sunday (24). The last match before the World Cup break will be against Grêmio, in Porto Alegre, on the 30th.
Peñarol took advantage of the support of the fans to put pressure on Corinthians at the beginning of the match. Without the ball, the team had the intensity to rebuild the defense and avoid spaces for counterattacks. To try to surprise, the Corinthians gave up passes and preferred throwswithout success.
Even though Peñarol did not pose a direct threat to the Corinthians goal, it was the team that demonstrated more proposition, with an offensive presence. Uruguayan pressure took effect in the 19th minute at the top. Jesús Trindade took a corner, Maximiliano Oliveira rose in the middle of the Corinthians defense and headed the ball to open the scoring. Goalkeeper Hugo Souza just watched the ball go in.
The advantage allowed Peñarol to be more protected. It was an invitation for Corinthians to attack. The São Paulo team ran into the Uruguayan defense, which was trying hard to clear the ball with kicks wherever its nose pointed.
Peñarol managed to score the second, with another mistake from Hugo Souza. Leandro Umpierrez hit a cross, and the goalkeeper reached the ball, but accepted it. The move was canceled due to Matías Arezzo being offside.who had granted assistance. The score of 2-0 would be deserved, mainly due to the incapacity of the São Paulo team, who only managed to shoot towards goal once during the entire first half.
Corinthians maintained offensive presence in the second halfbut it was canceled by Peñarol’s defense. Kaio César was inconsistent when trying individual plays, although without success.
Fernando Diniz was ready to make a triple change, turning to incumbentsaround 15 minutes into the second half. Even before the substitutions, Corinthians changed the scene. Kaio César insisted, this time looking for a cross. André tried to finish and couldn’t. Pedro Raul also played for Aguerre’s defense. On the rebound, Zakaria Labyad broke an eight-month fast and equalized.
Peñarol reacted. Without victory, the Uruguayans lost the chance to fight for classification in the round of 16. Diego Aguirre shouted during the technical break that “drawing or losing would be the same”. The team started to run the risk of suffering a comeback, exposing itself defensively.
O gosh the Labyad postponed the changes by Diniz. The starters Yuri Alberto, Jesse Lingard and Rodrigo Garro entered before a Peñarol team that gave up space, allowing Corinthians to find ways to turn around.
The game was open and faster in the final half of the second half. Peñarol, with more desperation, launched the attack. Corinthians even showed more calm to play when they regained possession, but abused passing errors in the middle.
Yuri Alberto had the chance to score the turning goal corintiana in the 47th minute of the second half. He came face to face with Aguerre, but shot at the goalkeeper, who saved it. At 50, the number 9 was once again free in the area after a sprint and did not take advantage.
TECHNICAL SHEET
PEÑAROL 1 X 1 CORINTHIANS
PEÑAROL – Washington Aguerre; Franco Escobar, Emanuel Gularte (Facundo Álvez) (Brian Barboza), Mauricio Lemos, Maximiliano Oliveira and Gastón Togni; Leandro Umpierrez, Jesús Trindade, Eduardo Darias (Luis Angulo) and Diego Laxalt (Abel Hernández); Matías Arezzo (Facundo Batista). Coach: Diego Aguirre.
CORINTHIANS – Hugo Souza; Pedro Milans, Gabriel Paulista, Gustavo Henrique and Fabrizio Angileri; Allan, André, Matheus Pereira (Rodrigo Garro) and Zakaria Labyad (Jesse Lingard); Kaio César (Dieguinho) and Pedro Raul (Yuri Alberto). Coach: Fernando Diniz.
GOALS – Maximiliano Oliveira, 19 minutes into the first half; Zakaria Labyad, at 17 of the second.
YELLOW CARD – There wasn’t.
REFEREE – Piero Maza (CHI).
PUBLIC AND INCOME – Not available.
LOCAL – Campeón del Siglo Stadium, in Montevideo, Uruguay.
