São Paulo defence face tough test against new-look Mirassol | OneFootball

São Paulo has terrible memories of its last encounter with Mirassol in the interior of São Paulo state. In the 2025 Brasileirão, Tricolor was defeated 3-0 by last season’s sensation, in a match marked by defensive errors.

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On that occasion, coach Hernán Crespo opted for a formation with three center-backs, but the strategy didn’t work. The trio of Arboleda, Ferraresi, and Allan Franco performed well below expectations, recording the team’s lowest ratings according to SofaScore, an app specialized in statistics.

Problems on the field

The nightmare began in the very first minute, when Alesson took advantage of a defensive lapse to open the scoring. Still in the first half, Alan Franco made a serious mistake that resulted in a penalty converted by Reinaldo, a former São Paulo player. In the second half, another penalty allowed Carlos Eduardo to seal the victory.

In 2025, Mirassol stood out for its offensive style, scoring 63 goals and finishing with the third-best attack in the Brasileirão, behind only champions Flamengo and runners-up Palmeiras.

Mirassol and São Paulo face each other this Sunday, starting at 8:30 p.m. (Brasília time), at Estádio José Maria de Campos Maia, for the first round of the 2026 Paulistão.

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