Derby and key matches in the Paulista: check São Paulo’s February fixtures | OneFootball

São Paulo will have a busy schedule this February. The Tricolor will decide its fate with the last two games in the Campeonato Paulista while fighting for the top positions in the Campeonato Brasileiro table. The changes implemented by the CBF have caused the two tournaments to occur simultaneously.

In the first two weeks of the month, São Paulo will have four matches to play. Closer to the end of February, the club might see its schedule ease up — or not. Everything will depend on whether the Tricolor qualifies for the quarter-finals of the Campeonato Paulista.

São Paulo's first commitment in February is a classic, once again against Santos. Last Saturday, the Tricolor defeated the rival 2-0 at Morumbis in the Paulista. Now, they visit Peixe at Vila Belmiro at 8 PM (Brasília time) this Wednesday for the second round of the Campeonato Brasileiro.

Already at the weekend, São Paulo will have an extremely important commitment for its aspirations in the Paulista. The team led by coach Hernán Crespo will host Primavera this Saturday at 8:30 PM at Morumbis. A victory could ensure the São Paulo team remains in the elite of the State Championship.

The following week also holds significant matches. For the third round of the Brasileirão, São Paulo will once again divide its attention and face Grêmio at home at 9:30 PM. Meanwhile, in the Paulista, they will take on Ponte Preta in the last round of the first phase. The match kicks off on Sunday (15th) at 8:30 PM at Moisés Lucarelli.

After these four games, São Paulo might gain an important break in the schedule — that is, of course, if they do not reach the quarter-finals of the Paulistão. This is because, after the game against Ponte Preta, the next commitment is against Coritiba only on February 26, which is 11 days later. The match is valid for the fourth round of Serie A and is scheduled for 8 PM.

Situation in the Paulista

São Paulo breathed a sigh of relief in the Campeonato Paulista with the great victory over Santos last Saturday. The Tricolor moved away from the relegation zone and jumped to 12th place, reaching seven points.

The São Paulo team needs just one victory against Primavera in the next round to ensure its stay in the elite of the State Championship. Velo Clube, the first team in the Z2, has only four points, while Santos, in 14th place, has six. The team from Morumbis also has a better goal difference than the club from Rio Claro.

Besides moving away from relegation, the club is also alive in the fight for a spot in the Paulista knockout stage. The first team in the quarter-finals qualification zone is São Bernardo, with eight points — meaning only one point separates the Tricolor from the club from the interior of São Paulo. In a recent press conference, Crespo said he is “confident” in São Paulo's qualification.

Situation in the Brasileiro

Dividing attention with the Paulista, São Paulo started off on the right foot in the Campeonato Brasileiro. The Tricolor came from behind to beat Flamengo 2-1 at Morumbis, with goals from Luciano and Danielzinho. The result placed the team in fourth place, with three points earned.

Squad Management and Almost Empty Medical Department

At the start of this season, Hernán Crespo's technical team adopted a rotation scheme, managing the players' minutes to avoid injuries. Last year, it is worth remembering, the club suffered a lot with physical problems, especially towards the end of the year.

The strategy adopted by Crespo and the other professionals has been working. So far, after seven games this season, São Paulo has not had any injured players. Last year, the Tricolor underwent a deep overhaul in the medical and physiotherapy departments, promoting departures and hiring 12 new professionals.

The Tricolor club's medical department is thus almost empty, with only two members at the moment: André Silva, who began physical transition last Monday, and Ryan Francisco, who is recovering from anterior cruciate ligament surgery on his left knee.

See São Paulo's schedule in February:

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