São Paulo ratings: new ‘Luciano-Santana’ duo shines, ends drought | OneFootball

São Paulo delivered its traditional late scare, but finally got back to winning ways in the Brasileirão after beating Bragantino 2-1 on Saturday night (29), in front of nearly 35,000 fans at Morumbi. The three center-backs all performed well, Marcos Antônio set the tempo with some beautiful passes through the middle, and the duo of Luciano and Gustavo Santana made the difference up front, with one goal each. See the ratings:

Rafael – 5.5 – Had very little work in the first half, clearing a few balls from the box. Made comfortable saves in the second half and was not to blame for the late goal.

Domingos Duarte – 6.5 – Made a superb clearance in defense from a dangerous cross by the opposition right at the start. Had a good first half, with five defensive actions to clear the ball. Two minutes into the second half, another crucial sliding tackle in the box. Kept “cleaning up” in defense throughout the match, with clearances and tackles.

Arboleda – 6.0 – Returned to the team after injury. Playing as the spare man, he was solid in the first half, recovering two balls. Maintained the same level in the second half and ended the game as captain after Luciano went off.

Sabino – 6.5 – Was the busiest of the trio in the first half, with five clearances and three recoveries for Tricolor. Another good display, especially in the air.

DISAPPOINTMENT: Buta – 5.0 – Back in the starting lineup as right wing-back. Once again looked shaky in a defensive play. Offered nothing going forward and barely touched the ball in the first half, though he did make three clearances. Poor again, he was replaced by Lucas Ramón late in the match.

Marcos Antônio – 6.5 – Produced some classy moments in the first half, showing all his quality. Moved a lot across midfield and looked for his teammates with excellent passes. He also recovered two more balls. Tried a placed shot from outside the box in the second half, well saved. Set the team’s tempo.

Danielzinho – 6.0 – Played a more holding role in midfield in the first half and did well, with good interceptions and timely clearances. Delivered some dangerous crosses. Stayed firm defensively in the second half, with few passing mistakes, until being replaced by Pablo Maia late on.

Artur – 6.0 – In the 39th minute, received a good ball in the box but, with no angle, hit the outside of the net. Didn’t have a great first half, but was important in the high press and moved around a lot. Had a good chance in the second half after advancing down the right, but hit a weak shot. Improved after the break and did well on corner kicks. Went off near the end.

Iago – 6.25 – Is becoming more and more established at left wing-back, always supporting the attack with good passes. Took the corner that led to the second goal. Got on the end of a cross early in the second half and headed firmly, forcing a good save from Volpi. Another good performance.

STAR: Luciano – 6.75 – The captain for the day started nervously, missing a clear chance when the play had already been (poorly) ruled offside, and complaining about fouls. And it paid off! In a scrappy play in which he went down in the box, he may have sold it a bit, but VAR rightly confirmed the penalty on the striker. He took it himself and finished superbly, into the corner, unstoppable. Fought hard throughout and won the ball back high up the pitch. Kept up the good level in the second half until being replaced by Pablo Maia late on.

STAR: Gustavo Santana – 6.5 – With Calleri unavailable, the youngster got a chance in the starting lineup. Threw himself into a header to finish a loose-ball play in the 16th minute, but the keeper saved it. Showed a striker’s instinct with a fine volley from a corner situation to make it 2-0 still in the first half. Took a knock to the calf right at the start of the second half and had to be replaced by André Silva.

André Silva – 5.75 – Came on in the 9th minute of the second half for the injured Gustavo. Played a good ball for Artur to shoot ten minutes later. Challenged for a header in the 24th minute. Picked up a yellow card late on and then dragged a shot wide shortly after. Fought hard and distributed some good passes.

Lucas Ramón – No rating – Replaced Buta in the 26th minute of the second half. Did more going forward than the Portuguese player, but did not have much time.

Pablo Maia – No rating – Came on for Luciano in the 26th minute of the second half.

Ferreirinha – No rating – Entered in the closing minutes in place of Artur.

Djhordney – No rating – Gave Danielzinho a rest in the final minutes of the match.

Dorival Jr. – 6.5 – Changed the setup to a three-center-back formation and came out on top in the first half. Had to take off Gustavo in the second half due to injury, then made changes to secure the win, which finally came.

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