Pablo Maia shines, giving Crespo a selection headache at São Paulo | OneFootball

Pablo Maia has been making his case at São Paulo, taking advantage of some absences in the team's midfield. The player, who was once an undisputed starter for Tricolor, now holds the status of a substitute—something that could still change.

Pablo Maia started last Sunday, in the victory over Botafogo at Morumbis, for the Brazilian Championship, and left the field as the “man of the match.”

Pablo Maia has started for São Paulo in the last three matches, scoring a goal in one of them, in the 2-0 win over Atlético-MG at Morumbis. The midfielder, who recovered from an ankle injury, has been trying to regain his status as a starter for Tricolor, but faces strong competition in the midfield.

Alisson, who got used to being his partner at São Paulo, has alternated between starting and coming off the bench, but is looking to rekindle his partnership with Pablo Maia more frequently. Under Hernán Crespo, the midfielder has even played in a more advanced role, as a sort of attacking midfielder, leaving behind the position that made him an indispensable piece under the command of previous coaches.

This Thursday, against LDU, at the altitude of Quito, for the quarterfinals of the Libertadores, coach Hernán Crespo will have to decide whether to bet again on Marcos Antônio, who has just recovered from injury, and Bobadilla, or on Alisson and Pablo Maia, a duo that has already won a title with São Paulo and whose chemistry goes back a long way.

Regardless of the Argentine coach’s choice, the real winner is São Paulo, which currently has four great options to play as a midfielder in the team, in addition to other names like Luan.

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