Unseen defensive leader steadies São Paulo against Internacional | OneFootball

Robert Arboleda marshalled São Paulo's defence to a 1-0 win over Internacional, dominating the box and calming possession when it mattered.

He set the tone in the first half with clean distribution, completing 25 of 27 passes and stepping in front of runners to snuff out early breaks. From there, the Tricolor Paulista centre-back imposed himself in aerial duels and on loose balls.

After the restart, Inter pushed with a stream of deliveries, but Arboleda stayed error-free, racking up five clearances, three interceptions and a block. Soberano also won 70.0% of aerial duels, a platform built on his positioning and timing as Colorado chased crosses.

The numbers underlined his control: 35 of 38 passes found a team-mate, alongside those defensive interventions, keeping the game in front of him and allowing the hosts to reset quickly when pressure arrived.

This display keeps the Tricolor Paulista anchored in 11th on 36 points, with Santos up next in the league. Inter remain 18th on 28 points and host Corinthians in their next fixture.