The Derby Paulista

27.04.23 937

The Derby Paulista is a Brazilian football match between Sport Club Corinthians Paulista and Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras.

Both clubs are based in the city of São Paulo, which has the largest population of any city in Brazil. Corinthians and Palmeiras are two of the oldest football clubs in the São Paulo region and the derby is ranked as one of the biggest in the world.

We must go back to 1917 to find the first meeting between Corinthians and Palmeiras and it was Palmeiras who came out on top that day, winning the game 3-0 under the name of Palestra Itália.

Interestingly not only was this match the first Derby Paulista but it also included the first hat-trick to be scored in the derby, with striker Caetano scoring all 3 goals in the game. The defeat for Corinthians was their first loss in 25 games and so the rivalry began.

Ahead of the meeting between Palmeiras and Corinthians on the 29th of April 2023, there have been 375 matches in total between the teams. Palmeiras lead the way with 133 wins but considering the Derby Paulista has been played so often, there is little to split the teams, with Corinthians claiming 129 victories.

There have been 113 draws in total and Palmeiras lead the way in terms of goals scored, having netted 537 times in comparison to the 491 goals of Corinthians.

Focusing on the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A results, Palmeiras have 24 wins to their name, with Corinthians tasting success 19 times. The teams have also met 6 times in the Copa Libertadores, the premier club competition in South America, and there have been 3 wins each, with both teams scoring 10 goals.

Looking at the most recent additions of the Derby Paulista, it is Palmeiras who have been dominating proceedings. Palmeiras have won 4 of the last 8 fixtures in the league, with Corinthians recording only 1 victory.

Palmeiras have won 3 of the 5 most recent league fixtures against Corinthians and there have been plenty of goals, with over 2.5 goals scored in 3 of the last 4 derbies in the league.

However, Corinthians have been finding scoring goals difficult and they have failed to find the back of the net in 3 of the last 5 games against Palmeiras.

Despite the fact Corinthians have been struggling to score goals in recent matches against Palmeiras, it is their players who dominate the top scorers chart in the Derby Paulista.

Cláudio tops the charts with 21 goals to his name, with Baltazar netting 20 times, and Luizinho scoring 19 goals in the Derby Paulista. All three men played for Corinthians and Heitor, with 16 goals, is the only player from Palmeiras to feature in the top five goal scorers.

With players switching between clubs more readily now, it is unlikely to the 21 goals of Cláudio will ever be topped and he will remain the top scorer in the history of the Derby Paulista.