Analysis: São Paulo’s second-half display keeps them top for another round | OneFootball

*By Thiago Henrique

In his second game in charge of São Paulo, Roger Machado secured his second victory as the Tricolor's coach. Coming from behind, Sabino and Calleri scored the goals that kept the team at the top of the Brazilian Championship for another round.

São Paulo entered the field under pressure, as Palmeiras had won their game and threatened São Paulo's leadership. In Bragança Paulista, Roger Machado's team did not perform well in the first half, fell behind on the scoreboard, and only managed to react in the final stage.

Impactful Second Half

Trailing 1-0, Roger Machado decided to change São Paulo's playing style and saw the Tricolor dominate Bragantino. The coach abandoned long balls and focused on the team's specialty: short passing style.

And it paid off when Sabino equalized the match before the first 10 minutes. Calleri turned the score around in a game that showcased São Paulo's dominance against a team playing a completely different model.

With the lead, Roger Machado made changes to the team to inject fresh energy. The coach even finished the match with a five-player backline, similar to his predecessor, Hernán Crespo. By not allowing Bragantino to create dangerous chances in the final stretch, São Paulo secured three more points and maintained the lead.

“The tone of this type of game, especially with the characteristic that Red Bull has, is that for you to play short, the speed of approach between the passing lines of teammates has to be greater than the pressure. When it's not fast, your first action is to try a long ball. At a time when we weren't doing well, the option was to use the ball behind the defense,” explained the coach after the match.

São Paulo's Phase

With the victory, São Paulo ended the sixth round leading the Brazilian Championship. Roger Machado's team has 16 points, three more than Palmeiras and Fluminense, second and third place, respectively.

Next São Paulo Match

See also: All Gazeta Esportiva news Gazeta Esportiva YouTube Channel Follow Gazeta Esportiva on Instagram Gazeta Esportiva WhatsApp Channel

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