Segundo Castillo’s scintillating tuxedo did the rounds last week on social media, but what hasn’t been covered as much is Barcelona SC’s scintillating display as they put one foot in the Copa Libertadores group stage with a 3-0 blitz of Brazilian giants Corinthians.

It looked like the first half would see the sides go into the break level, but João Pedro brought down the onrushing Bryan Carabalí in the box. Argentine referee Darío Humberto Herrera had no choice but to point to the spot.

Janner Corozo stepped up and sent Hugo Souza the wrong way, firing the Ecuadorians into a 1-0 lead.
Carabalí played a crucial role in the second goal. After some fancy footwork, he delivered a perfect cross for Octavio Rivero to head home.
Completing what was a solid performance, Corozo—the scorer of the first goal—capitalized on some sloppy defending from the Brazilians to give Barcelona a healthy three-goal lead heading into the second leg.

It was an extremely difficult night for Corinthians, who now face a mammoth task in overturning a huge deficit. However, their journey to qualifying for the 2025 Libertadores was a remarkable fightback—from relegation candidates to one of the league’s best performers—which will give them confidence that they can turn the tie around.

Before they could even think about Barcelona, Corinthians had a huge game on Sunday evening, facing rivals Santos in the Campeonato Paulista semi-final. In a fiery affair that saw two Santos players sent off, Timão edged it with a 2-1 victory in front of their own fans.

The weekend’s win will give them a huge confidence boost heading into this match, and they will need to deliver a perfect performance if they are to progress to the group stage.

On the other hand, it was a completely different week for Barcelona SC, who suffered a humiliating 4-0 home loss to Independiente del Valle over the weekend. However, they did choose to rest key players for this duel.

The defeat was their first in seven matches across all competitions and their first of 2025.

We spoke with Martin Benitez, founder of Warriors of Ecuador (@EcuadorHeroes), who provided insight into the mood from the Ecuadorian side ahead of the second leg.

“The expectation for Barcelona SC against Corinthians in their visit to Brazil is to qualify for the 2025 Copa Libertadores group stage,” he says.

“After going up 3-0 on aggregate in the first leg in Guayaquil, the mood among all Barcelona fans has been electric. Many had counted them out even before the first leg, so winning 3-0 has been sensational.”

“We now await the second leg, where Barcelona looks to secure qualification and hopefully avoid a historic Corinthians comeback.”

Corinthians Team News
Yuri Alberto is a doubt due to injury after picking up a knock in the game against Santos. Guaranteed absences include Fabrizio Angileri, who is ineligible, and the injured Igor Coronado.

Probable Corinthians lineup
Hugo Souza, Matheuzinho, Andre Ramalho, Gustavo Henrique, Matheus Bidu, Jose Martinez, Andre Carrillo, Breno Bidon, Rodrigo Garro, Memphis Depay and Yuri Alberto.

Barcelona SC Team News
Castillo opted to rest his key players ahead of the clash in São Paulo. However, he still has several absentees due to fitness concerns, including Felipe Caicedo, Jesús Trindade, Christian Solano, Byron Castillo, and Joao Rojas. On a positive note, Mario Pineida, who was suspended for the first leg, is now available for selection.

Probable Barcelona SC lineup
Contreras, Vargas, Álex Rangel, Vallecilla, Carabalí; Arroyo, Leonai, Cortez, Valiente, Corozo and Rivero.