Diniz reveals plans for Zakaria after decisive performance for Corinthians
Attacking midfielder Zakaria Labyad had a good performance and scored Corinthians' goal in the 1-1 draw with Peñarol-URU, this Thursday (21), in the fifth round of the Copa Libertadores. After the match, coach Fernando Diniz praised the number 52's performance and highlighted the player's versatility.
Against Peñarol, Zakaria played wide on the left, a position normally occupied by Jesse Lingard. The technical committee chose to preserve some starters, prioritizing the dispute in the Brazilian Championship.
"I didn't know much about Zakaria, I'm getting to know him now. I think he played very well against Barra (in the Copa do Brasil). My idea is to give him a follow-up. He's a technical player. I'm getting to know him, he can play in more than one position. He can play as a 10, second midfielder. I was happy with his participation", commented Diniz at a press conference.
Against Peñarol, in addition to the goal, Labyad created four great chances, completed 90% of the passes he tried and had a total progression of 22.8 meters. The data is from Sofascore.
Other players failed in the duel in Montevideo, such as right-back Pedro Milans and winger Kaio César.
Group E Classification
With the draw, Corinthians reached 11 points and confirmed their leadership in group E. Lantern, Peñarol has three units and can no longer qualify for the knockout stage.
Platense-ARG occupies second place, with seven points, while Santa Fe remains in third, with five.
Peñarol 1 x 1 Corinthians
Timão went behind the scoreboard with a goal from Maximiliano Olivera, following a corner kick from Peñarol in the first half. In the second half, the Brazilian team grew in performance and drew with Zakaria Labyad, who was disenchanted with the black and white shirt.
Upcoming commitments
Corinthians returns to the field this Sunday (24), against Atlético, at Neo Química Arena, in the 17th round of Series A of the Brazilian Championship, at 6:30 pm (Brasília time).
In the Copa Libertadores, the team faces Platense on the 27th (Wednesday), again at home, at 9:30 pm (Brasília time).
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Source: CNN