São Paulo rotate squad, reach Paulista semis full of confidence | OneFootball

São Paulo accomplished virtually all the objectives it had in mind before the match for the fourth round of the Brazilian Championship. The Tricolor not only defeated Coritiba 1-0 away from home, but also managed to do so without some of its main players. Coach Hernán Crespo rested most of the starters and, although the team did not play well, they left with all three points and gave the squad a rest, already with an eye on the Paulista semi-final.

São Paulo’s Match

São Paulo went into the match without three of its main starters due to accumulated fatigue: Danielzinho, Lucas Ramon, and Sabino. Already thinking about the Paulista semi-final on Sunday, Crespo chose to field an alternative lineup. The formation returned to a three-center-back line, with debuts for Cauly and Djhordney in midfield, and a highly mobile attacking duo made up of Ferreira and Tapia.

The Tricolor started by ‘sharing’ possession with Coritiba and committing many fouls. The team’s first ten minutes were tough, especially on the left side of the defense. Lucas Ronier found plenty of space on the wing, while the São Paulo team also failed to block shots from the edge of the box, conceding two dangerous opportunities to the home side.

Moreover, São Paulo also struggled to find many progressive passes, circulating the ball only among the defenders. The absence of Marcos Antônio was very noticeable for the starting lineup, as the midfielders rarely attempted long passes or runs into the box. Cauly, Pablo Maia, and Djhorney only started to look for each other more on the field around the 25th minute.

Gradually, São Paulo realized it could find a bit more space on the flanks. The wingbacks, however, did not have an excellent first half. Furthermore, the pace of the match was very slow, both for the Tricolor and for Coritiba. Because of this, the visiting team found it difficult to break through and was hindered by a lack of inspiration in the attack, creating few chances and struggling with the final pass.

São Paulo’s best opportunity came from something the team lacked in the first half: more pressure on the ball out. Maicon made a passing error and Cauly intercepted, passing to Ferreirinha, who shot for a save by Pedro Morisco. The impression at the end of the first half was of a completely open game, which could be decided in the details.

Second Half

At halftime, Crespo saw what São Paulo had been missing: breaking the lines. Seeing this need, he made a necessary change and brought on Marcos Antônio for the yellow-carded Djhordney.

It was a set piece that ended up solving São Paulo’s life in Paraná. After a corner kick, the ball was loose and Pedro Morisco came off his line, but only managed to hit Tapia’s head. Wilton Pereira Sampaio then reviewed the play on VAR and pointed to the penalty spot. Cauly took responsibility, grabbed the ball, and converted the penalty, putting the Tricolor ahead.

The introduction of Marcos Antônio clearly made a difference. The midfielder was always available to receive and continue plays, giving more speed to São Paulo’s game. It was precisely with him on the field that the team became more aggressive, pressing higher and moving the ball around with more intensity. Around the 20th minute, Crespo gave the team even more firepower by bringing on Calleri and Lucas.

The coach’s substitutions gave São Paulo more energy, as well as more presence in the attacking third. From then on, the Tricolor tried a few fast breaks, but controlled the result and held on for the win, taking another three points home.

São Paulo Reaches the Semi-Final with Confidence

São Paulo heads into the semi-final of the Campeonato Paulista with confidence. In addition to the positive result in Curitiba, the Tricolor will have its main players rested and in their best physical condition—some didn’t even play, while others played only a few minutes.

With the win over Coxa, the Tricolor reached 10 points and remained in second place in the Brazilian Championship, as Palmeiras also won in the round. Crespo’s team also maintained its unbeaten run in Serie A, with three wins and a draw, extending their positive streak to eight games without a loss.

São Paulo’s Upcoming Matches

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