Botafogo beats Corinthians and takes the lead in the Brasileirão

This Saturday (14), Botafogo beat Corinthians 2-1 at the Nilton Santos stadium, in a match valid for the 26th round of the Brazilian Championship. The Rio de Janeiro team, leader of the competition, had a superior performance and secured the victory with goals from Luiz Henrique and Almada. Corinthians scored with Rodrigo Garro. With the result, Botafogo took advantage of the draw between Fortaleza and Athletico and consolidated its leadership, now with 53 points, opening up a four-point advantage over the team led by Vojvoda.

On the other hand, Corinthians is facing a difficult time. The team suffered a “reality check” when it dropped to 18th place, remaining with 25 points and in a critical situation in the relegation zone. Despite the recent arrival of Memphis Depay and qualification for the Libertadores semi-finals, the São Paulo team is going through a difficult phase in the Brasileirão.

Confusion with uniforms before the match

Before the start of the match between Botafogo and Corinthians at the Nilton Santos stadium, for the 26th round of the Brazilian Championship, there was a dispute over the teams' uniforms, which ended up delaying the start of the game by four minutes. The confusion occurred due to the similarity between the two teams' home shirts. Botafogo, with its traditional black and white striped uniform, had a predominance of light tones, which made it similar to Corinthians' white shirt, which has black details on the sleeves and bottom. After a quick conversation between the players and referee Anderson Daronco, it was decided to continue with the game without changing the uniforms, even though Corinthians had black shirts available, which make up the team's second uniform for the 2024 season.

_{Botafogo and Corinthians players in conversation with Daronco (Photo: reproduction/Andre Durão)}

First half

Botafogo took the lead over Corinthians in a hard-fought match for the Brazilian Championship, with the Rio de Janeiro team dominating the first half. In the 38th minute, Luiz Henrique scored the only goal of the first half, after an excellent play by Thiago Almada, who got past the Corinthians defense and found Savarino. The number 10 passed the ball to Luiz Henrique, who put the ball in the back of the net, putting Botafogo ahead. The first half was marked by constant pressure from Botafogo. The team created several scoring chances, while Corinthians struggled to advance. In the 43rd minute, Corinthians had the chance to equalize with a penalty kick taken by Romero, but goalkeeper John made a great save, keeping the score at 1-0.

Throughout the match, Botafogo had 10 shots on goal, compared to just one from Corinthians, showing control and offensive intensity. Corinthians goalkeeper Hugo Souza also had his work cut out, making important saves, especially from shots by Savarino and Igor Jesus. Corinthians tried to respond with a dangerous header from Romero in the 14th minute, which went close to the post, but to no avail. Meanwhile, Botafogo continued to press, with Almada and Savarino creating good opportunities, but were unable to extend their lead.

_{Botafogo x Corinthians for the Brazilian Championship at the Nilton Santos Stadium (Photo: reproduction/Vitor Silva/Botafogo)}

Second half

After the confusion with the uniforms before the match, during the half-time break, Corinthians ended up changing their uniforms and returned to the field wearing black shirts. The second half was intense, with Corinthians tying the match with a penalty goal in the 17th minute, taken by Rodrigo Garro, but Botafogo took the lead again with a goal by Thiago Almada in the 21st minute, with a deflected shot that deceived goalkeeper Hugo Souza. The game began to become even more exciting after the penalty was awarded to Corinthians, which was reviewed by VAR. Garro converted the penalty and put Corinthians back in the game. However, Botafogo maintained its offensive stance and, with Almada in great form, regained the lead soon after the tie.

In injury time, Botafogo held the ball, controlling the result while Corinthians tried, unsuccessfully, to press for an equalizer. The Rio de Janeiro team had a clear chance with Igor Jesus, who almost extended the lead on the counterattack, but the ball deflected and went to the left of the goal. The duel was also marked by tension off the pitch, with Corinthians coach Ramón Díaz being sent off after assaulting a ball boy. In addition, Corinthians received two yellow cards, both for complaints, with André Ramalho and Matheus Bidu punished by the referee. With the victory, Botafogo remains strong in the fight for the top positions, while Corinthians seeks to reorganize itself for the upcoming challenges.

Upcoming duels

Botafogo's next fixtures include a home match against São Paulo on September 18 at 9:30 p.m. (Brasília time) for the CONMEBOL Libertadores. The team will then face Fluminense away on September 21 at 6:30 p.m. for the Campeonato Brasileiro. Botafogo will then face São Paulo again, this time away, on September 25 at 9:30 p.m., again for the Libertadores.

Corinthians' next challenge is an away game against Fortaleza on September 17th, at 9:30 pm, for the CONMEBOL South American. Next, the team will face Atlético-GO at home, on September 21st, at 4 pm, for the Brasileirão. Finally, Corinthians will host Fortaleza again on September 24th, at 9:30 pm, in a match valid for the South American.

Featured Photo: Botafogo players celebrate goal against Corinthians (Reproduction/Vitor Silva/Botafogo)