Alisson says São Paulo’s Libertadores run took its toll against Santos | OneFootball

Midfielder Alisson believes that São Paulo’s poor performance on the field this Sunday against Santos was a reflection of a decisive period for the club in the Libertadores. For the derby at Vila Belmiro, Hernán Crespo rested all the starters, including goalkeeper Rafael.

Alisson highlighted the dedication of the players throughout the match, acknowledged that the Morumbi team is focused on the Libertadores, but admitted that the choice of a reserve lineup compromised São Paulo’s performance, defeated 1-0.

“It’s normal [lack of chemistry] when you play with a completely different team. All 11 players didn’t take part in the game against LDU. That brings difficulties. We have to value what the team did. It’s always very hard to play a derby here at Vila,” commented Alisson, who had a lackluster performance against Santos.

São Paulo will have a decisive week, with the return match against LDU. In the first leg of the Libertadores quarterfinals, the Ecuadorians won 2-0. And between these two crucial games, the Morumbi team had to face Santos in Baixada. Alisson says that physical condition was made a priority when selecting the tricolor lineup for this Brasileirão match.

“What the staff has been doing, taking care of the players’ health, is very important after a very exhausting game in Quito. We wanted at least to get a point here, we couldn’t, but now it’s time to focus on Thursday, which is when I’m sure everyone’s mind is set, so we can get there, with the help of our fans. With Morumbi packed, so we can fight for this classification that’s so important for us.”

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.