Tricolour triumph: São Paulo beat Ponte, reach Paulistão quarters | OneFootball

From almost relegated to qualified…

As has become routine since 2001, and in fact, it was the only club from São Paulo to achieve this since then, São Paulo is guaranteed a spot in the knockout stage of the Campeonato Paulista.

On the night of this Sunday (15th), the tricolor team finally dispelled the upset ghost that hovered over Morumbi, the poor record in Campinas (SP), and won 2-1 against Ponte Preta, right at Moisés Lucarelli, in the eighth and final round of the state competition's group stage.

With this result, São Paulo is in the quarter-finals of the Paulistão, qualifying with 13 points, in sixth place. With the traditional Olympic draw, the opponent will be Bragantino. They have the home advantage, and the exact stadium, as well as the date and time of the match (which takes place next weekend), will be announced by the Federação Paulista de Futebol.

Amid the fans' clamor for using a mixed team, most likely due to Ponte's position in the tournament, already relegated, Crespo stood firm and fielded his strongest lineup.

An attitude we can consider correct, given that the duel was still decisive, where the tricolor club needed the victory to secure a spot in the knockout stage.

Giving the game the importance it demanded proved to be a wise decision. São Paulo faced adversities in the countryside. A defensive opponent, a high and poor pitch for São Paulo's style of play, poor lighting…

Factors that weighed on the tricolor's slow start on the hot night in Campinas. Almost everything attempted on the field went wrong. The vertical play didn't work, the quick transition, a weapon shown in the excellent victory over Grêmio midweek, was blocked.

It took time for the Tricolor to find its way, and the goal only came at 38 minutes. In the first switch of play from the left, where Crespo's team insisted more than they should have, to the right, Lucas Ramon, who is becoming the absolute starter in the position, invaded the area and shot into Diogo Silva's left corner to open the scoring.

The goal could have been an indication of greater tranquility for São Paulo. And the feeling even grew after the break, when Sabino launched and Calleri controlled to strike first-time and extend the lead for the visitors.

But a false sense of security, with everything in their hands, the Tricolor faltered and, just at 6 minutes, saw Ponte reduce the lead, with Bryan Borges taking advantage of a cross in the area to score.

An unnecessary scare, but it proved to be an isolated incident, as the rest of the final stage of the game showed why Ponte was relegated early, with no inspiration or creativity, and watching São Paulo hold possession and reduce their momentum, managing the result and refraining from attacking to avoid more risks. Now it's time to wait for the knockout stage parade next week.

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