After the risk of relegation, Corinthians recovers and projects Sula or Libertadores

The year 2024 is full of good and bad surprises for Corinthians. After spending many rounds in the relegation zone, having changed command several times and having a high probability of playing in Series B in 2025, “the game literally changed“. With four victories in a row, some against direct opponents, Timão climbed the table and plans to achieve higher goals for next year, such as the Copa Sudamericana, or even the Libertadores.

Bad period and recovery

Since the beginning of the year, Corinthians had been facing a bad phase on the field. After being left out of the Paulistão final, in the following months, he managed, with difficulty, to move forward in the Copa do Brasil and Copa Sudamericana, being eliminated, in both competitions, in the semi-final against Flamengo and Racing, respectively. With only the Brazilian Championship remaining, the projections were the worst possible.

The team was at the bottom of the table for a long time. Whether it was in the last four, or a position above, the poor performance on the field caused the team's command to fall. This year alone, there were four coaches. Raphael Laruccia, led on an interim basis, Mano Menezes, who remained in just five games and the Portuguese António Oliveira, led 28 matches. Only with the arrival of Ramón Diaz, the black and white team from São Paulo began to show that it was possible to recover the expected technical performance, especially because the investment made with medallions this season, should be worth it for the club's coffers.

_{Memphis Depay was the scorer of Corinthians' winning goal (Photo: reproduction/Instagram/@corinthians)}

Four wins in a row and the dream of a continental spot

In a spectacular and unexpected way, Corinthians began to show that they were reacting to remain among the elite of national football. In the last five rounds, there were four wins and one draw. With direct opponents competing against relegation and others at the top of the table, good football appeared again. The triumphs against Vitória (2-1), Palmeiras (2-0), Cuiabá (1-0), Athletico Paranaense (5-2) and Internacional (2-2) show that the players were able to understand the tactical scheme proposed by Ramon Diaz.

_{Rodrigo Garro has been important in the Corinthians attack (Photo: reproduction/Instagram/@rodrigarroo)}

Respectful protagonists and supporting characters

With a squad made up of experienced and novice athletes, Corinthians has good options on the field this season. Players like Rodrigo Garro, Ángel Romero, Memphis Depay, Yuri Alberto and Hugo Souza are some of those who have made a difference in recent matches.

In the match against Vitória, at Estádio do Barradão, this Saturday (9), goalkeeper Hugo was seen as the team's villain, after the primary error that allowed the opponent's first goal. The search for a reaction didn't take long, and after Garro's pass, the team's top scorer, Yuri Alberto, tied the score. In the second half, Garro again served as waiter and with a perfect pass to Memphis, he helped the Dutchman turn the game around for Timão.

The result was great for the São Paulo team, who managed to jump up the table, and now occupy 10th place, with 41 points. The distance from the Z-4 ​​increased to five points, bringing peace of mind to the team. Now, the focus is on winning the next disputes and, who knows, dreaming of the Sula and Libertadores in 2025.

Featured photo: Yuri Alberto, Corinthians striker (Reproduction/Instagram/@corinthians)