Athletico Paranaense and Corinthians face off in a rescheduled match from matchweek two. The original game had been postponed due to Corinthians’ involvement in the Supercopa do Brasil, where they secured their first title of the season with a victory over Flamengo.
The head-to-head record between these sides heavily favours the team from Sao Paulo. Corinthians are unbeaten in their last five meetings in this fixture, recording four wins and one draw.
The most recent encounter came in the Copa do Brasil, where Corinthians secured a 2-0 victory on home soil, completing a 3-0 aggregate win in last season’s quarter-final.
The last victory for Athletico in this fixture came back in 2023, when they claimed a 1-0 win thanks to a first-half strike from Vitor Roque.
Athletico Parananense
Athletico Paranaense come into this game as the only side in the Brasileirao with a 100% record, having won both of their opening matches, scoring three goals and conceding just once.
Their campaign began with an impressive 1-0 win away at Internacional, thanks to a first-half strike from John Steven Mendoza, before they enjoyed a 2-1 win over Santos on matchweek two.
Their return to the top flight of Brazilian football has gone to perfection so far, and they are currently unbeaten in their last five matches in all competitions.
At the weekend, they took on Londrina in the Campeonato Paranaense, where they were held to a 2-2 draw. Chiqueti was the standout performer, scoring both goals for Athletico.
Athletico Parananense Team News
Furacao are expected to have just one absentee for this match, with Renan Peixoto ruled out as he continues to recover from a muscle injury.
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Head coach Odair Hellmann is expected to stick with the three-man defence that has been a key part of his system at the start of the season.
Corinthians
It has been a mixed start to the season for Supercopa and Copa do Brasil champions Corinthians, who have won one and lost one of their opening two league matches.
After suffering an opening-day defeat to Bahia, Corinthians responded well with an impressive 2-0 victory over fellow Sao Paulo side Bragantino, with goals from Gabriel Paulista and Matheus Bidu.
Since that win, they also faced Sao Bernardo in the Paulista State Championship, where they secured a 1-0 victory thanks to a second-half strike from Andre.
However, the main negative from that match was the injury suffered by Yuri Alberto, who will miss this upcoming fixture.
Timao come into this game with a strong recent record against Athletico Paranaense, which will give them confidence. Their victory over Sao Bernardo also secured their place in the playoff stage of the Campeonato Paulista, where they will face Portuguesa in the quarter-finals.
Despite that, their full focus will now turn to this league fixture, as they aim to secure back-to-back league victories and build on their strong performances against Bragantino and Sao Bernardo.
Corinthians Team News
Corinthians will be without one of their key players, Yuri Alberto, who picked up an injury in their last match against Sao Bernardo in the Paulista State Championship.
He joins an injury list that also includes Hugo, Breno Bidon and Kaio Cesar, dealing a significant blow to Corinthians ahead of this fixture.