The knockout round playoffs at the Copa Sudamericana begin on Tuesday as Corinthians battle Universitario in their opening leg at Neo Quimica Arena.
Timao were relegated into this tournament after finishing third in their Copa Libertadores group stage, while the Peruvians defeated Gimnasia at home in their final group fixture at the Sudamericana (1-0) as they finished second.
Match preview
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Although it was not what they wanted, Corinthians have a shot at redemption following its difficult Libertadores campaign, in which they went winless in four of their final five fixtures, while failing to score in three matches.
As a result, the Sao Paolo-based club are back in this competition for a second successive campaign, making it into the last eight in 2022 despite failing to score in any of their four knockout games.
They sit 14th in the Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A table with just 15 points from 14 games, its worst start domestically since 2020 (15 points).
Vanderlei Luxemburgo is the fourth coach they have brought in this season, and his third stint at Time do Povo has been filled with inconsistent performances from one match to the next, with his side winning just five games in all competitions since the beginning of May.
Universitario will only be the second Peruvian opponent they will have faced in a competitive fixture, and Timao had no trouble with their last one, Sport Huancayo, defeating them 3-0 in Lima and 5-0 at home during the 2021 Copa Sudamericana group phase.
Their poor form at home in the group stage of the Copa Libertadores helped lead to their downfall, losing two of their three fixtures played in their arena, though they have been able to eke out more results there of late, losing only twice at Neo Quimica Arena under Luxemburgo, coming back to earn three league draws after conceding first.
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Making a first Sudamericana appearance since 2016, Universitario have looked focused and eager since their opening match, with 10 points from six games.
Tuesday will be the first time they play a knockout match at this tournament in over a decade when they made the quarter-finals in 2011 and had a 2-0 lead heading into the second leg versus Vasco da Gama before falling 5-2 to the Brazilians and bowing out 5-4 on aggregate.
It has been quite a while since the 26-time Peruvian champions defeated a Brasileiro Serie A side on Brazilian soil, coming back to upset Palmeiras 2-1 in the 1979 Copa Libertadores group stage.
Jorge Fossati has this group in fine form, heading into this clash on a four-match unbeaten run in all competitions, as they are currently in a four-way tie for first in the Liga 1 Clausura campaign.
Los Merengues have not lost a competitive match all season when drawing first blood, winning all three of their encounters in the 2023 group stage of this competition after doing so, maintaining a shut out each time.
Not since the 2014 edition of the Sudamericana has a Peruvian team gone on to win a knockout stage tie after dropping their opening match, when Cesar Vallejo did it twice that year, notably knocking out Brazilian side Bahia on penalties after losing their first match 2-0.
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Team News
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Gustavo Silva was among the absentees for Corinthians when they defeated Atletico Mineiro 1-0 in their previous encounter as he is dealing with an ACL issue, something which is also plaguing Paulinho, while Chrystian Barletta and Angel Romero are not expected to be available for a couple more weeks because of knee injuries.
Roger Guedes notched his team-leading fifth of the domestic campaign earlier this week, as Cassio only had to make two stops for the clean sheet against Mineiro.
Guedes notched three of the seven goals for Corinthians in the opening phase of the Copa Libertadores, with the others coming from Adson, Felipe Augusto, Matheus Araujo and former centre-back Fabian Balbuena.
Alexander Succar missed the previous Universitario encounter on Friday as he is recovering from a sprained ankle sustained at the beginning of this month, Jose Carvallo and Roberto Siucho will be suspended after each receiving red cards in their final group stage encounter versus Gimnasia, while Nelson Cabanillas missed that match with a previous red card suspension himself.
Piero Quispe had the only goal in a 1-0 triumph over Gimnasia as he was one of six different players to find the back of the net for the Peruvians in the group stage of this tournament, with the others being Succar, Matias Di Benedetto, Williams Riveros, Alex Valera and Emanuel Herrera.
Valera and Di Benedetto netted in their 4-1 domestic triumph over Cantolao on Friday, with the other goals coming courtesy of Marco Saravia and Quispe.
Corinthians possible starting lineup:
Cassio; Ramos, Caetano, Mendez, Fabio Santos; Giuliano, Vera, Maycon; Adson; Guedes, Alberto
Universitario possible starting lineup:
Romero; Corzo, Di Benedetto, Saravia, Bolivar; Urena; Polo, Cabanillas, Flores; Valera, Urruti
We say: Corinthians 2-0 Universitario
While the Peruvians have held their own in this competition to date, their track record against Brazilian opponents has been poor for years, and a lack of experience on a big stage might be too much for them to handle.
The 2023 campaign at Corinthians has been poor, but we believe they are starting to come together with an improved defensive backline, while looking much more cohesive.
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