São Paulo show progress, but inconsistency costs against Palmeiras | OneFootball

Even with the 3-1 defeat to Palmeiras this Saturday, São Paulo showed signs of recovery after a poor start to the season. With a bold lineup and a different approach than usual, the team created chances and had more ball control, especially in the first half. However, these same choices ended up becoming the main weakness for the Tricolor.

The Argentine coach bet on a formation with a lighter midfield, with Marcos Antônio as the first defensive midfielder to help in ball distribution and Danielzinho and Bobadilla ahead of him. This setup allowed São Paulo to have a more qualified passing game and superiority in possession during the initial stage.

Just as the short passing game gave the Tricolor more control of the match, it was also how Palmeiras opened the scoring, by pressing and recovering the ball after a mistake by Bobadilla. The second goal for Verdão also came from Crespo's decisions in midfield. Without a defensive midfielder, the center of the field was left unprotected at times, and it was through there that Andreas Pereira advanced freely before passing to Sosa, who assisted Flaco López.

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In attack, Lucca had good appearances on the left side and was the only one in the offensive sector to stand out. Luciano alternated between the role of number 10 and center forward but participated little in the plays. Tapia, on the other hand, appeared more on the right but struggled to contribute offensively. Even so, he missed a clear chance to put the Tricolor ahead.

At 18 minutes of the first half, Enzo Díaz fought for the ball, sprinted down the left, and crossed perfectly for Tapia, who found himself face-to-face with Carlos Miguel but shot wide, wasting a good opportunity.

After Palmeiras' third goal, just five minutes into the second half, São Paulo felt the blow and slowed down. The team continued to have more ball possession but with less game volume and couldn't replicate the good moments from the first half of the classic.

Problems from outside to inside the field

On the field, the team has been inconsistent, and off the field, the situation helps explain the instability. São Paulo continues to struggle in the Campeonato Paulista and is nearing the relegation zone, while the club's political issues hinder planning and daily life at the training center, directly affecting the athletes' performance.

With a tough sequence ahead, the Tricolor needs to react as quickly as possible to move away from the bottom of the State Championship table. Otherwise, the risk is carrying this early year's instability into the Brasileirão and living with the threat of relegation in the national tournament.

Next match

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