Corinthians Ends First Half of The League With One of Its Worst Campaigns

Corinthians’ loss to Juventude in the 19th round of the Brazilian Championship has left the team with one of its worst first-half performances since the league adopted its current format in 2006, featuring 20 clubs and 38 matches. With just 22 points and five wins, Dorival Júnior’s squad sits 13th, six points clear of Vasco da Gama, the first team in the relegation zone.

This tally is worse than in 2007, the year they were relegated, when the team ended the first half with 26 points and six wins in the same position. Only in 2006 (20 points) and 2024 (19 points) did Corinthians perform worse at this stage. The situation could worsen, as Vasco and Grêmio still have matches to play from this first half, which could push Corinthians down to 16th place, just above the relegation zone.

While the second half of 2007 sealed their relegation, in 2024, despite a poor first half, Corinthians recovered strongly with 37 points and qualified for the Copa Libertadores. Dorival aims to replicate that comeback. However, this season the team struggles on both ends, scoring 18 goals but conceding 23.

Since Dorival took over in round seven, Corinthians has earned just 13 points from 13 matches—a 33.3% rate—raising concerns about relegation risk. After the latest defeat, the coach said, “I don’t know what we need, but we must show attitude. Something is missing.”

Corinthians will next face Bahia at Neo Química Arena in round 20. Besides injuries, the team will be without suspended players Angileri, Romero, and Cacá.