Corinthians Secures Paulista Leadership Despite Draw Against Guarani

Corinthians, fielding a reserve squad while prioritizing the Copa Libertadores, drew 2-2 with Guarani on Sunday at Neo Química Arena.

Despite the home setback, the team clinched the top overall spot in the first phase of the Campeonato Paulista. Ángel Romero scored both goals for Corinthians, while Rafael Bilu and João Marcelo netted for Guarani.

The result cemented Corinthians as Group A leaders with 27 points, ensuring home-field advantage in the knockout stages. Meanwhile, Guarani’s campaign ended in disappointment as they finished third in Group B with 13 points, missing out on qualification.

In the quarterfinals, Corinthians will face Mirassol, who secured second place in Group A with 16 points. The fixture’s date will be confirmed by the Federação Paulista de Futebol on Monday.

Corinthians now shifts focus to Wednesday’s decisive Copa Libertadores match against Universidad Central at Neo Química Arena. The first leg ended in a frustrating 1-1 draw, leaving no room for error in the return leg.

A Thriller Ends in Draw as Both Teams Shift Focus

Guarani, eliminated from the state tournament, will now prepare for their debut in Brazil’s Série C. The match began with Corinthians dominating early. By the 16th minute, Matheus Bidu’s precise cross found Romero, whose deflected shot opened the scoring.

Corinthians nearly doubled their lead minutes later when Talles Magno and Héctor Hernández saw their efforts blocked by Guarani’s defense. However, defensive lapses allowed Guarani to equalize before halftime.

Rafael Bilu struck in the 42nd minute after a well-placed cross from João Victor. In the second half, Corinthians struggled defensively and conceded again in the 56th minute when João Marcelo converted a low cross from Emerson Barbosa.

Romero restored parity just nine minutes later with a composed finish following a corner kick. The hosts came close to securing victory during stoppage time but were denied by goalkeeper Gabriel Mesquita and an unlucky header off the post.

While Corinthians celebrated their group-stage dominance, concerns linger over their defensive vulnerabilities ahead of critical matches. For Guarani, the focus now shifts to rebuilding for their national league campaign.