Corinthians hosts Internacional on Thursday at 20h in the second leg of the Copa do Brasil round of 16, and the Timão needs a comeback to stay alive. After losing the first leg 2-0 at Beira-Rio, Corinthians must win by two goals to force penalties or by three goals to move straight into the quarterfinals.
That is why the match is drawing attention now. Internacional can advance with a draw or even a one-goal loss, while Amazon Prime Video and ge will carry the game for viewers who want every detail as it unfolds. The pressure is sharpened by the setting: this is a knockout night at the Neo Química Arena, where the margin for error is gone.
For Corinthians, the problem is not only the deficit. Yuri Alberto is unavailable because of a posterior thigh injury in his right leg, and Memphis Depay is also out because of contract renewal. That leaves Pedro Raul as a possible starter, even though his form has not been convincing since returning from loan. It is the kind of spot where a single choice can change the shape of the night.
International’s side has its own absences, including Villagra, who is out with pain in his left thigh. Bruno Gomes is the likely option to move from right back into midfield, giving the visitors a practical answer to a gap in the middle. Felipe Fernandes de Lima will referee the match, and Jesse Lingard is on the yellow-card watch list for Corinthians, adding one more layer to a game already loaded with pressure.
The first leg was decided quickly, with Matheus Bahia and Alan Patrick scoring in a six-minute spell that left Corinthians chasing from behind before the tie had really settled. Internacional now arrives with a two-game unbeaten run across Brasileirão and Copa do Brasil, which only deepens the contrast between a team trying to protect an advantage and another trying to rewrite the script at home. The unanswered question is whether Pedro Raul gets the nod up front, and whether Corinthians can finally turn urgency into goals when it matters most.
