Corinthians had to suffer, play with 10 men for much of the second half and hold on until the final whistle, but they accomplished their mission. Timão defeated Rosario Central 1-0 in São Paulo to secure a place in the quarterfinals of the 2026 Copa Libertadores, where Estudiantes de La Plata are already waiting.
CONMEBOL Libertadores
Corinthians Eliminate Rosario Central
After a 0-0 draw in Rosario, the tie arrived at the Neo Química Arena completely open. One goal could change everything, and for long stretches of the match, neither team was willing to take too many risks.
Until Memphis Depay appeared.
Plenty of Intensity but Little Space
Corinthians started the match looking to impose themselves in front of their home crowd. The Brazilian side controlled possession, tried to attack down the flanks and also tested Central with shots from distance.
In the 13th minute, one of the few clear opportunities of the first half arrived. Kaio César unleashed a dangerous effort, but Jeremías Ledesma responded with an excellent save to keep the match scoreless.
As the minutes passed, Central began to look more comfortable. El Canalla pushed higher up the field and found a way to threaten from corner kicks, mainly with Ángel Di María delivering the ball into the area.
However, the match was filled with tension. Neither side wanted to make the mistake that could cost them a place in the next round, and that ultimately affected the flow of the game.
The score remained 0-0 at halftime, with the possibility of a penalty shootout beginning to loom.
A Red Card Completely Changed the Match
The second half followed a similar pattern: plenty of physical battles, constant fouls and very few opportunities for either team to establish any rhythm.
But everything changed in the 57th minute.
VAR reviewed a dangerous challenge by Raniele on Enzo Copetti, and the decision ended with the Corinthians player being sent off.
Timão were down to 10 men with more than half an hour still to play.
Central knew this was their opportunity. The Argentine side began pushing higher up the field and searching more aggressively for the opening goal, although Corinthians managed to remain organized despite their numerical disadvantage.
In the 70th minute, the hosts made their move: Memphis Depay entered the game with the mission of producing the moment that could change the tie.
Three minutes later, Central had their big opportunity. Copetti won a battle with the defender and found himself facing the goal, but sent his effort over the crossbar.
El Canalla let their chance slip away.
Corinthians did not.
Memphis Comes On and Changes the Story
In the 79th minute, Memphis Depay found space down the flank and delivered a superb cross into the penalty area.
Breno Bidon arrived at exactly the right moment and needed only the slightest touch to send the ball into the back of the net.
1-0.
The Neo Química Arena erupted.
Despite playing with 10 men, Corinthians had found the goal they had been searching for all night and were now just minutes away from the quarterfinals.
Rosario Central threw everything forward. There was nothing left to protect, and every ball sent into the Brazilian penalty area increased the tension.
Timão dropped deeper, defended their advantage and survived Central’s final attempts.
There was no response from El Canalla.
Corinthians pulled off a heroic performance at home. They played more than half an hour with 10 men, found the decisive goal when they appeared to be in their most difficult moment and defeated Rosario Central 1-0 to advance to the quarterfinals of the 2026 Copa Libertadores.
Now another Argentine opponent awaits.
Estudiantes de La Plata will be the next obstacle in Timão’s path.
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