São Paulo debut new kit, end 11-game hoodoo vs Atlético-MG | OneFootball

Pablo Maia celebrates his goal, the first of the game (Alexandre Schneider/Getty Images)

RAFAEL EMILIANO@rafaelemilianoo

If superstition has anything to do with it, the new São Paulo jersey, a tribute to the one worn by idol Rogério Ceni in the 2005 world championship, has already secured its place in the hearts of Tricolor fans.

The result maintains Tricolor's good record in this Brasileirão under Hernán Crespo's leadership and ends an uncomfortable drought.

With the victory, the club reached its eighth consecutive game without losing in the national competition, with six wins and two draws. It also ends the sequence of 11 consecutive matches without defeating Atlético-MG, an uncomfortable drought that had lasted since 2020.

THE GOALS OF SÃO PAULO'S VICTORY

With the result, São Paulo reaches 32 points, tied with Botafogo and Mirassol, but occupying seventh place due to tiebreaker criteria.

The night started dull at Morumbi, cold, as was the temperature in São Paulo's capital (what a pathetic time to have football, by the way). Crespo's lineup, maintaining three defenders but with three midfielders in the central axis, theoretically without a playmaker, hindered the rhythm. Even more so against an opponent with very little creativity.

Things only started to change at the 20-minute mark, when Marcos Antônio took the reins and assumed the role of being the mind of the São Paulo team, improving creation and increasing the team's game volume.

And look, it didn't take that long for the result to appear. At 22 minutes, it was Marcos Antônio who started the passing exchange that found Pablo Maia at the edge of the area to turn on the marking and finish to hit Everson's right corner and open the scoring.

There it was, the goal was all São Paulo (and the game) needed, as the initial boredom ended a bit, with the Tricolor team having more control of the actions on the field and managing to impose its game rhythm with more volume and intensity, appearing more consistently (and objectively) in the attack.

Two great chances were created. One at 28 minutes, with Bobadilla receiving a placed pass from Marcos Antônio in the area and finishing wide. And also at 35, when the Minas Gerais team made a mistake in a ball exit and Ferreirinha received a pass from André Silva to sprint with speed, beat the marking, and shoot across for a good save by the Atlético goalkeeper.

Things were so calm and controlled that the biggest scare for the Tricolor fans didn't come from the opponent, but from their own team. At 42 minutes, Marcos Antônio requested a substitution after feeling the back of his right thigh. According to the broadcast, it was to avoid aggravating the situation. Prudent, considering the player should be called up for the Brazilian National Team this Monday (25).

After the break, the scenario even reversed at the beginning, with Atlético starting to dominate the actions and impose its rhythm against a more cornered São Paulo, but without objective offensive power, not even threatening Rafael.

But soon Crespo made changes and mainly regained control of the midfield, improving its defensive compactness and managing to dictate the rhythm on the field.

Chances were piled up, but all were missed. Until the stars smiled. And two names heavily criticized by the fans came together to define the São Paulo night. At 35 minutes, Luciano backheeled for Cédric to advance on the right and cross perfectly for Tapia, with a diving header, to score and settle the match, sealing the victory.

São Paulo returns to the field now only next weekend, at 9 PM (Brasília time) on Sunday (31), to face Cruzeiro at Mineirão, also for the Brasileirão.

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