With Crespo, São Paulo boast best Brasileirão run in last seven rounds | OneFootball

São Paulo is experiencing an impressive turnaround in the Brazilian Championship since the arrival of Hernán Crespo. In just nine games under the Argentine’s command, the Tricolor has collected 20 points, with six wins, two draws, and only one loss — which happened in his debut, against Flamengo. This performance stands in stark contrast to that of Luis Zubeldía: in 13 rounds, the team had earned just 13 points.

The positive streak comes with remarkable numbers. In the last seven rounds, São Paulo is the team that has scored the most points in the competition: 19 points out of a possible 21, with a 90.5% success rate. The Tricolor scored 14 goals and conceded only four in this period, creating 16 big chances and allowing just six to their opponents, according to Sofascore.

Crespo’s style is also reflected in the offensive aggressiveness: there have been 107 shots — an average of 15.3 per game — compared to 52 conceded, just over seven per match.

The direct impact is seen in the standings. When Crespo took over, São Paulo was in 17th place, flirting with the relegation zone. Two months later, the team is in 7th place with 32 points, tied with Mirassol, who are sixth, and very close to the G6.

The most recent triumph, a 2-0 win over Atlético-MG at Morumbis, not only kept their eight-game unbeaten run in the Brasileirão alive but also ended an almost five-year drought without victories against the Minas Gerais rival. Pablo Maia and Gonzalo Tapia scored the goals for a solid São Paulo side, who managed the advantage well and confirmed their excellent form.

Crespo, for his part, adopts a cautious tone. “It’s a good moment, a nice one. Everything is working out. There’s great commitment from the players. The squad is hungry. We have to keep going down this path, with our feet on the ground,” said the coach after the win over Galo.

The good phase also extends to the Libertadores, where São Paulo qualified for the quarterfinals after eliminating Atlético Nacional on penalties. The atmosphere is one of confidence, but the next challenge promises to be tough: on Saturday, the Tricolor faces second-place Cruzeiro at Mineirão, in the 22nd round. It will be another big test to see how far Crespo can take the Tricolor’s surge.

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