Rigoni’s spark under Crespo in knockouts could be São Paulo’s secret weapon | OneFootball

Back to São Paulo, Emiliano Rigoni finds a scenario where he has already shone in the past: knockout games under the command of Hernán Crespo. In his first stint at the club, between 2021 and 2022, the Argentine striker was decisive in the Copa do Brasil and in the Libertadores, becoming a key piece in moments of greater pressure.

Of the 11 goals scored with Crespo, seven were in knockout tournaments and only four in the Brazilian Championship. In the Copa do Brasil, even with only five matches played — since he joined the club in the middle of the season —, Rigoni scored five goals and even provided an assist.

His performance led him to the vice-top scorer of the tournament, behind only Hulk, from Atlético-MG, who ended up champion and played ten games, double that of the Argentine.

In the Libertadores, Rigoni's most memorable moment occurred in the round of 16, against Racing. After a 1-1 draw at Morumbis, Tricolor went to Argentina and won 3-1, with two goals from number 77, ensuring qualification for the quarterfinals.

Now, in his new stint, Rigoni arrives again at a decisive moment. São Paulo will face LDU, from Quito, in the quarterfinals of the Libertadores, and sees in the Argentine's history in knockout matches an important asset. In addition, the squad suffers from losses in the attack, which increases the expectation for the striker to take the lead in the first commitments.

With Crespo in command and Rigoni back at Morumbi, Tricolor hopes to relive standout chapters in knockout tournaments and count on the Argentine star to keep dreaming of the Libertadores' fourth championship.

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