São Paulo stumble again, unrecognisable against Bragantino | OneFootball

Marcelo Baseggio

São Paulo once again fluctuated this season by being defeated by Red Bull Bragantino this Saturday, 1-0, at Vila Belmiro in Santos, during the 33rd round of the Brazilian Championship.

After competing on equal terms with Flamengo, which is vying for the Libertadores and Brasileirão titles with Palmeiras, São Paulo was unable to assert itself against Red Bull Bragantino, which is starting to grow under coach Vágner Mancini.

Unable to count on Marcos Antônio and Pablo Maia, São Paulo's latest injured players, coach Hernán Crespo opted for a midfield with Luiz Gustavo and Lucas Moura, along with Bobadilla, who had already been a starter.

Lucas did not have a good game and was substituted at halftime. The tricolor idol is still far from his ideal physical form after recovering from injury and is gradually being introduced to the team, but has yet to give the fans a taste of what he was once capable of doing in the São Paulo jersey.

However, Saturday's defeat is not Lucas's responsibility, nor Maik's, another new face for São Paulo who took over the starting position at right-back. No player on the field managed to make a difference.

Of course, Red Bull Bragantino had its merits. The visiting team presented a very solid defensive system, not allowing São Paulo any space to enter the area. Proof of this is that most of Tricolor's opportunities were created through shots from outside the area.

With 11 players out due to injury, it's impossible to judge coach Hernán Crespo's work, who has been forced to deal with a series of physical problems in the squad since returning to São Paulo to begin his second stint as coach, but it is also true that one of his roles is to present solutions to the different problems that arise. He is trying.

There is no miracle to be done in this final stretch of the season. Crespo has a depleted squad but must meet the fans' expectations for a spot in the Pre-Libertadores. If the goal is not achieved, the coach cannot bear the weight of the 2025 failure alone. The Argentine is yet another victim of São Paulo's outdated system.

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