São Paulo dominate Grêmio from start to finish, best display yet | OneFootball

São Paulo lived up to its nickname of "sovereign" and delivered its best performance of the year in the 2-0 victory over Grêmio last Wednesday at Morumbis, in the third round of the Brazilian Championship. The São Paulo Tricolor dominated their rival from the first to the last minute and showed they can compete whenever and against whomever they want. The big news, besides the commanding result, was the trio of Lucas, Luciano, and Calleri, who shone.

With Arboleda absent, coach Hernán Crespo decided to return to a four-man defensive line, with Alan Franco and Sabino forming the center-back pairing. The attacking trio was actually more of a duo. Lucas started the game as an attacking midfielder, with the freedom to drift to the right or play through the center, supplying the two strikers: Luciano and Calleri.

The opening moments of the match showed a rather versatile São Paulo, capable of betting on counterattacks or retaining possession. Lucas Moura, with plenty of freedom to break forward and move around, was very involved in the opening minutes. In fact, the Tricolor reached the opponent's box twice in less than seven minutes, but couldn't finish on goal.

The Tricolor's attitude drew attention. After a rather lukewarm start, São Paulo shifted gears and began to threaten Grêmio's goal, creating two chances in less than five minutes. Both were ruled out for different reasons, but the fact is the home side became superior. The team's offensive capacity and build-up play were rewarded with a pass from Marcos Antônio, who spotted Danielzinho making a run. The midfielder broke into the box and was fouled for a penalty, which Lucas converted.

From then on, São Paulo grew into the match and started piling up chances. The Tricolor had a very solid first half and made the most of the spaces in Grêmio's defensive line, with many runs behind the defenders. Besides not suffering defensively against an in-form attack, they won almost every midfield duel and created opportunities to leave the field with an even bigger lead, failing only in efficiency.

Second half

The second half began with great news for São Paulo, who took advantage of Grêmio's defensive fragility and, above all, Wagner Leonardo's poor game. Calleri was played through and held back by the Grêmio defender, who already had a yellow card. The referee showed a second yellow and sent the defender off, leaving São Paulo with a man advantage for the entire final period.

With more space and a player up, São Paulo did what they do best: work the ball and set up triangles. It was in one of these well-worked moves, with players combining, that the Tricolor extended their lead with a goal from Calleri. The team even had the chance to score a third, but Luciano was stopped by Weverton and missed the penalty.

After that, the Tricolor still had more chances to increase the lead – Tapia, in fact, missed a goal right in front of the net – but couldn't convert. Even so, they controlled the result, dominated their southern rivals from start to finish, and left Morumbis with three crucial points that will surely make a difference down the road.

The fact is that Grêmio was harmless against São Paulo, who performed very well in all areas of the field. Wednesday's match was one of the best – if not the best – for the Tricolor so far this season. Dominant, creative, and sovereign: this was Hernán Crespo's Tricolor against Grêmio. With all players available, the São Paulo team showed signs that they could soon return to the spotlight if they maintain this level.

Standings

With the result, São Paulo extended their unbeaten run this season to five games without defeat, with four wins and a draw. In addition, the Tricolor also reached seven points and will sleep at the top of the Brazilian Championship table, maintaining their unbeaten record in the tournament.

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