São Paulo underwhelm, but edge Inter and breathe in Brasileirão

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·20 September 2026

São Paulo underwhelm, but edge Inter and breathe in Brasileirão

São Paulo delivered a crucial response to ease tensions with its fans after being eliminated from the Copa Sudamericana. On Saturday night (19), at Morumbi, in the 28th round of the Brazilian Championship, Tricolor beat Internacional 1-0 in a match loaded with emotion and marked by a very uneven performance from Dorival Júnior’s team, amid protests in the stands and the urgent need to move away from the threat of the relegation zone.

Tense Atmosphere and Protest: The mood before kickoff reflected the turbulent days the club had been going through after its Copa Sudamericana exit. Answering the call from Independente, the organized supporters carried out the protest “Silence, we’re playing” and remained seated and silent for the first 15 minutes of the match.
Promising Start and Turning Point: Curiously, backed by the other sections of Morumbi, Tricolor had its best spell of the game דווקא during the protest. Mainly through the feet of the night’s debutant, full-back Pedro Lima, the team looked incisive and managed a certain level of control over the rival from Rio Grande do Sul, creating two good chances in that period.
The Goal of Relief: The game’s lone goal came precisely during the protest period. São Paulo’s pressure paid off in the 14th minute of the first half, when the referee awarded a penalty to Tricolor after a reckless challenge by Maripán on Luciano that will certainly draw complaints from Internacional. Calleri stepped up, sent goalkeeper Anthoni the wrong way, and found the net, scoring the goal that opened and ultimately decided the match at Morumbi. The Argentine had not scored in the Brasileirão since late July.
Danger from the Gauchos: The goal gave the false impression that it would be an easy night for Tricolor, but the opposite happened. Dorival’s team quite literally sat on the lead and eased off. It became stretched, gave Inter more space, turned ineffective in attack, and allowed itself to be pressured by the visitors in front of its own fans.
Pressure from the Gauchos and Defensive Solidity: In the second half, needing points to get out of the lower part of the table, Internacional pushed forward and tried to apply pressure however it could. Well organized defensively, São Paulo held on until the final whistle, completely giving up on attacking and handing the ball to the visitors from Rio Grande do Sul. They suffered for 45 minutes, but still secured the result thanks to the opponent’s lack of cutting edge.

With the win in this direct clash, São Paulo moves up to 36 points, taking an important step toward the 45-point target set by the coaching staff and fans to secure safety without scares. The team temporarily climbs to 11th place in the standings. Besides halting the negative run after the elimination, the result gives Dorival a few days of peace to reorganize the squad for the rest of the Brasileirão.

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With only the domestic competition left on the calendar from now on, the Morumbi club returns to the field on the 2nd (Friday), at 8:00 p.m. Brasília time, during the FIFA international break, to play the postponed clásico from the 21st round against Santos, again at home.

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