Corinthians and Cruzeiro meet tonight at Arena Independência in Belo Horizonte for the second leg of the Campeonato Brasileiro Sub-17. The São Paulo club carries a three-goal lead from the opening match, while the host side seeks a title.
The decisive fixture kicks off at 21h30 (Brasília time) with live television coverage provided by SporTV. Cruzeiro enters the match needing a victory by a margin of four goals to claim the trophy in regulation time, or a three-goal win to force a penalty shootout, as detailed by O Tempo. Tickets for supporters started at R$ 10 at Arena Independência.
The match brings together the coaching staff led by Cruzeiro manager Wendel Silva and Corinthians leader Guilherme Nascimento. The starting line-up for the host side features Diogo in goal, supported in defense by Otávio Gabriel, Wozniak, Bryan, and Júlio Damique, with a midfield and attack composed of Luiz Índio, Deivid, Caíque Santos, Eduardo Pape, Hugo Ferreira, and top scorer Thaylon. The visiting squad counts on goalkeeper Gustavo Milani behind a defensive line of Pedro Fernandes, Lucão, Ronaldo Henrique, and Wendel, alongside midfielders and forwards Lucas Splichal, Lucca Caramico, Léo Rodrigues, Matheus Rocha, Rhyan Ladeira, and Tupã.
First-Leg Advantage Built in São Paulo
The visiting side established its commanding position last Saturday at Neo Química Arena, according to Terra. Lucas Splichal opened the scoring late in the first half, and Lucca Caramico added two goals after the interval to secure a 3-0 result.
Iago Machado Joins Youth Squad Before International Duty
The visiting delegation in Minas Gerais includes central defender Iago Machado, who joins the youth squad after gaining experience with the professional team under Fernando Diniz during the Série A campaign. Following tonight’s final, Machado and teammate Lucca Caramico are scheduled to join the national youth selection for upcoming international duty, according to Rádio Itatiaia.
For Cruzeiro, the tactical approach relies heavily on tournament top scorer Thaylon, who enters the fixture with 18 goals. The club reached this decisive stage after eliminating rival Atlético-MG in the semifinals, achieving the best campaign in its history at this age group, as noted by ge.
Corinthians Surpasses Initial Projections by Reaching Tournament Final
The campaign has surpassed initial internal projections at Corinthians, where leadership initially targeted a finish among the top eight clubs before mounting a run to the final, UOL reported. The organization’s closest prior approach to this specific national trophy occurred in 2019, when the team finished as runner-up.
The eighth edition of the national championship features a field seeking a new winner after previous titles were distributed among Palmeiras, Fluminense, Flamengo, and reigning champion Atlético-MG.