São Paulo defence keeps another clean sheet, eyes Choque-Rei as a real test | OneFootball

After four matches, São Paulo managed to finish a game without conceding any goals. The Tricolor Paulista visited Fortaleza last Thursday and won 2-0 in the 26th round of the Brazilian Championship at Arena Castelão. Besides keeping their defense intact, the most important aspect was ending the streak of four consecutive defeats with a victory.

São Paulo's negative streak included losses to LDU (2-0 and 1-0), Santos (1-0), and Ceará (1-0). During this period, the team was eliminated in the quarterfinals of the Copa Libertadores.

In the match against Leão do Pici, Crespo's team's defense was different from usual. The defensive line included Cédric Soares, Negrucci, Sabino, and Wendell. For the next match against Palmeiras, the defensive solidity will be tested again and should feature important returns.

One of them is the return of Arboleda, who served a suspension in the last round, and is expected to strengthen the starting lineup. Meanwhile, Alan Franco, who was rested in the match against Fortaleza, returns to form the central defense duo alongside the Ecuadorian, bolstering the Tricolor's defense.

Trial by Fire against Palmeiras

In the 2025 Brazilian Championship, after 26 rounds, São Paulo conceded 25 goals. The team showed defensive weaknesses, especially in recent matches, where individual mistakes compromised the security of their defensive sector.

In pursuit of a second match without conceding goals, the Tricolor Paulista needs to stop Palmeiras' strong attack, led by the duo Flaco López and Vitor Roque. Verdão scored 39 goals in this championship and has the third-best attack, only behind Flamengo (50) and Mirassol (42).

In the 27th round, the teams face each other this Sunday at 4 PM (Brasília time), at Morumbis.

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