São Paulo ratings: Rafael solid, Lucas decisive v Vasco | OneFootball

São Paulo played a good match on Sunday night (2) and defeated Vasco 2-0 at São Januário, in the 31st round of the Brasileirão, in a direct clash for a spot in the 2026 Libertadores. Rafael, once again, was a point of maximum security in defense, made excellent saves, and kept things safe at the back. Lucas Moura wasn’t spectacular, but was decisive in converting the penalty that opened the scoring. In the end, Luiz Gustavo sealed the deal. See the ratings and evaluations:

Rafael – 6.5 – Made his first save at 8 minutes, on a weak shot from Tchê Tchê. Shone again in the 1st half with a great save on a powerful shot at 28’. At the end, he reached for a ball in the corner, sending it out for a corner kick. Already at 9’ of the second half, he had to work again after a good Vasco attack. A key player for the victory.

Alan Franco – 6.0 – Had a lot of work in the match, but managed some good clearances. Received a yellow card for a foul committed at the end of the game.

Arboleda – 6.5 – Complained about a penalty at the end of the 1st half after being held inside the box; the referee went to VAR review and confirmed the penalty. Cleared several dangerous balls very well and finished the match with an impressive 11 clearances in defense.

Sabino – 6.5 – Earned a spot in the defense. In the last play of the first half, almost scored with a header after rising well on a corner, but sent it wide. It was the play in which Arboleda suffered the penalty. Contributed with 13 defensive actions in the 1st half and maintained a good level in the second half.

Maílton – 5.5 – With absences on the right, returned to the starting lineup. Struggled a lot with ball distribution in the 1st half, with many passing errors. However, he was solid in marking and dangerous on set pieces. Was substituted at the end.

Pablo Maia – 6.0 – Marked star Coutinho very well in the 1st half, sticking close to the midfielder. Missed only one pass before halftime. Maintained his security for the rest of the match.

Bobadilla – 6.0 – Broke forward well on a counterattack at the end of the 1st half and set up Tapia for a shot. Didn’t have a great first half, but recovered some important balls. Was replaced by Alisson at the end.

Marcos Antonio – 6.0 – Well marked, had some difficulty driving the team forward in the first half. Didn’t shine, but showed his usual effort.

Enzo Díaz – 6.5 – A locomotive at the start of the match. Good runs forward and a long shot at 9’. Had a lot of defensive work with PH’s attacks. Received a yellow card in the second half. Great passing and crossing accuracy and his usual dedication at the back.

BEST OF THE TEAM: Lucas – 7.0 – Didn’t have any great plays in the first half, but made a brilliant dummy for Tapia at the end. Took the penalty and sent Léo Jardim the wrong way, opening the scoring in Rio. In the 2nd half, in the box, chose to head the ball as a pass instead of going for goal. Got a bit more involved after the goal. After a game of great effort, was subbed off for Rigoni at the end.

Tapia – 6.5 – Battling against the defense in the opening minutes, managed the first shot for Tricolor from outside the box, without much danger. Kept fighting hard in the 1st half and set up a dangerous counterattack at the end. Won the ball, passed to Bobadilla, and went into the box to receive and shoot first time, forcing a great save from the keeper. Remained the team’s ‘outlet’ in the second half, on long balls. In a good performance with great effort, was substituted with 21 minutes left.

Ferreirinha – 6.0 – Came on for Tapia in the second half. Tried some individual plays but couldn’t create any big chances. Finally, at 42’, escaped his marker well after a corner play and crossed perfectly for Luiz Gustavo to head in the second goal.

DISAPPOINTMENT: Rigoni – 4.0 – Gave Lucas a rest at the end of the game. At 40 minutes, had the chance to kill the game after winning a challenge. One-on-one with the keeper, shot very poorly, wide. Got tangled with the ball in another play during stoppage time.

Alisson – 5.5 – Replaced Bobadilla in the final minutes. Maintained the pace of the victory.

Luiz Gustavo – 6.0 – Came off the bench to replace Marcos Antonio in the second half. Was rewarded with the second goal at the end, with a header.

Ferraresi – No rating – Came on at the end in place of Maílton to help secure the result.

Hernán Crespo – 7.0 – Once again had to improvise to put together a competitive team with more than ten absences for the match. The strategy worked in the 1st half, with a penalty goal at the end. In the second half, swapped out the exhausted forwards and later the midfielders to secure the important away win. And it was one of them, Luiz Gustavo, who scored the goal that sealed the triumph.

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