Corinthians Beats Rosario Central With Second-Half Goal to Take Slim Lead Into Round of 16 Second Leg

Corinthians edged past Rosario Central 1-0 at Neo Química Arena in the first leg of the Round of 16 of the Copa Libertadores. The only goal came in the second half, in a stretch when the Brazilian side was down to ten men following Raniele's red card, yet still found a way through thanks to Memphis Depay's assist and Breno Bidon's finish.

A tight, scoreless first half

The match opened with plenty of physical play and few clear-cut chances. Corinthians created the first sparks through Matheus Bidu and Kaio César, both shooting from outside the box without troubling the opposing goalkeeper. Rosario Central answered through Jáminton Campaz, though his long-range effort drifted wide. Territorial control was fairly even, with Gustavo Henrique and Pedro Raúl offering occasional aerial threat for the home side, while Gastón Ávila tested the crossbar for the visitors with a shot that just grazed it. The first half ended 0-0 after two minutes of stoppage time, in a physical contest marked by numerous fouls and corner kicks but little clarity in front of goal.

The red card that changed the match, and the decisive goal

The second half brought the game's most decisive moment. In the 57th minute, Raniele was shown a red card, just two minutes after VAR had overturned an earlier sending off on the same player in the 55th minute. Down a man, Corinthians had to regroup while Rosario Central, controlling possession and generating more attacking volume, looked to exploit the numerical advantage with shots from Emanuel Coronel, Federico Navarro and Enzo Copetti, the latter clipping the crossbar in the 73rd minute.

Despite playing with ten men, Corinthians found the breakthrough in the 79th minute: after Memphis Depay came on for Pedro Raúl, the Dutchman whipped in a cross following a free kick, and Breno Bidon finished with his right foot from the center of the box, just inside the left post, for the 1-0 that would prove decisive. Rosario Central tried to respond with the introductions of Giovanni Cantizano, Julián Fernández and Marco Rubén, and had a late dangerous chance through Alan Rodríguez in stoppage time, which also came off the crossbar, but couldn't find the equalizer.

Match numbers

The numbers reflect a match in which Rosario Central controlled more of the ball and generated more offensive volume, with more corners and completed passes, but it was Corinthians that proved sharper in front of goal: despite having less possession and playing part of the second half a man down, they finished with more shots on target. According to an in house xG estimate based on the match's shots, Corinthians generated 1.00 expected goals compared to 0.49 for Rosario Central, a gap that backs up the home side's clinical edge in both boxes.

What the preview said versus what happened on the field

The projection published before the match had Rosario Central as the favorite, with a 37% chance to win compared to 27% for Corinthians and a 36% chance of a draw, with expected goals of 1.00 for the visitors and 0.83 for the home side. The result defied that forecast: Corinthians won despite playing more than half an hour with a man down, relying on the efficiency of a single well-taken shot at a key moment in the match.

What the match leaves behind

Corinthians takes a slim but valuable lead into the second leg of this Round of 16 tie, earned while down a man and thanks to Memphis Depay's immediate impact off the bench. Rosario Central, despite having more of the ball and a clear edge in corners, comes away without the away goal that would have complicated the home side's plans further, and must now turn the tie around on its own turf.