Mauricio matches Veiga’s assists, eyes Palmeiras starting spot | OneFootball

Mauricio came off the bench at halftime during the classic match against São Paulo to be decisive in Palmeiras' 3-2 victory at Morumbi. He entered when Verdão was losing 2-0 and, in about five minutes, provided two assists that helped in Palmeiras' comeback during the 27th round of the Brazilian Championship.

With the two assists, he equaled Raphael Veiga as the top assist provider of the season. Both now share the top of the ranking with nine assists each.

Mauricio comes off the bench and leads Palmeiras' comeback

Mauricio had been losing his place at Palmeiras, especially after the tactical change that solidified the attacking duo of Flaco López and Vitor Roque. In the last seven games, the number 18 participated in only three, starting in just one: the 4-1 victory over Fortaleza, when Abel Ferreira fielded a reserve team between the quarterfinal matches of the Libertadores against River Plate.

In the two most recent games, against Vasco and São Paulo, Mauricio came off the bench and returned to directly contribute to goals after more than a month. Against Tricolor, he provided a pass to Vitor Roque, who scored with a header at 25 minutes into the second half, and to Flaco López, who found the net four minutes later.

Throughout the season, Mauricio has provided assists against Santos (Paulista), Bolívar and Sporting Cristal (Libertadores), Al Ahly (Club World Cup), and Grêmio, Ceará, Sport, and São Paulo (Brasileirão). Against Tricolor, it was the first time he provided more than one assist in a single game.

Midfielder anticipates starting position

With Lucas Evangelista's injury, Palmeiras needed to make adjustments in the midfield. In the two games without the number 30, Abel Ferreira chose to start Raphael Veiga. However, the one who responded better was Mauricio, who replaced the Palmeiras idol against São Paulo and changed the pace of the match.

Given the extensive list of absences, there is an expectation that Mauricio will get another chance as a starter against Juventude. The match kicks off this Saturday at 7 PM (Brasília time) at Allianz Parque, for the 12th round of the Brasileirão.

In the season, Mauricio has 40 games, ten goals, and nine assists.

Palmeiras' situation in the Brasileirão

With the 3-2 victory over São Paulo, Palmeiras took the lead in the Brazilian Championship, with 55 points. Verdão surpassed Flamengo, who lost to Bahia, and has one more victory and one less game than the Rio de Janeiro rival.

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