Memphis Depay's Team is Back to Paulistão Semifinals
Corinthians returns to the semifinals of the Campeonato Paulista for the first time since 2022 in Depay’s first state tournament with the team.
Corinthians qualified for the Campeonato Paulista’s semifinals after a 2-0 victory over Mirassol on March 2, 2025. The team reached the semifinals of the tournament for the first time since 2022, continuing their recent unbeaten streak.
Memphis Depay was in the spotlight, as Romero opened their score after a corner kick by the Dutch player in the 22nd minute. Mirassol made efforts to equalize the game in the second half, but their goal was disallowed as the referee made an offside call.
In the second half, Depay scored a goal in the 76th minute, securing their win and celebrating by mimicking Neymar’s celebration.
Depay made a surprise move to Corinthians as a free agent on September 10, 2024, after leaving Atlético Madrid earlier that same year. Since then, he has been welcomed by the fans with open arms and has been putting on a spectacular performance and paving his way to becoming an idol in the Brazilian club.
The First Semifinals Since 2022
The Campeonato Paulista has been marked by the presence of four of the most well-known clubs from Brazil—São Paulo, Palmeiras, Santos, and Corinthians.
Now, it might be the first time since 2019 that all four teams will make it to the semifinals of the tournament if São Paulo manages to secure a win against Novorizontino on March 3.
Corinthians now secured their semifinal spot for the first time since 2022 after a few disappointing campaigns in the championship, as they were eliminated in the quarterfinals in 2023 and in the group stage in 2024.
Unbeaten Streak
Corinthians seems to have built their team back up with the arrival of Memphis Depay, now on an 11-game unbeaten run and having not lost a single game at home in 20 games across all competitions.
The Brazilian club has also set itself as the leader of the overall rankings for the Campeonato Paulista with 27 points, giving them the advantage of hosting all knockout games, except for the finals. Their next Paulistão match is set to take place at their home stadium, Neo Química Arena, on March 9, with their opponent yet to be confirmed.
With their semifinal spot secured, their focus now shifts to the Copa Libertadores, where they will face Barcelona SC in an away match on March 5 at 7:30 PM ET.
