Corinthians secured a 2-1 victory over Internacional in the Round of 16 of the Brazilian Cup on Wednesday evening. The hosts overturned recent form to advance, after Internacional had won their last meeting 2-0 on August 2nd. Pedro Raul's late strike proved decisive, with Gustavo Henrique's earlier opener and Bernabei's equaliser setting up an uneasy finish.
Gustavo Henrique opened the scoring in the 43rd minute, capitalising on sustained pressure. Internacional responded through A. Bernabei in the 59th minute, but Pedro Raul restored the lead in the 70th minute. The visitors never quite found their rhythm, and Corinthians worked the channels to keep control.
Corinthians dominated possession at 73 per cent but showed little clinical instinct until the final third. They registered 14 shots inside the penalty area, with only five finding the target. Expected goals stood at 2.42 for the hosts against 0.18 for the visitors, yet the margin of victory felt tighter than the numbers suggested.
Internacional's goalkeeper made three crucial saves to keep the score respectable, while his side managed just one shot on target all evening. The visitors completed 197 passes compared to Corinthians' 475, with only six key passes to offset eleven for their opponents. By then, the match had settled into a pattern of attack and defence.
Corinthians made six substitutions throughout the contest, bringing on Gabriel Paulista, Alan Patrick, Kaio Cesar, R. Garro and Matheus Bahia among others. Internacional also shuffled their bench, though the changes came too late to alter the complexion of the game. The result sends Corinthians through to the quarter-finals.
