Player ratings: attacking trio lead São Paulo to Sul-Americana win | OneFootball

São Paulo secured provisional first place in Group C of the Copa Sudamericana by beating O’Higgins 2-0 last Tuesday at Morumbis, in the second round of the group stage. Players such as Calleri, Rafael, Artur and Luciano were decisive in the positive result. On the other hand, youngster Lucca and Bobadilla did not shine and turned in quieter performances.

Rafael, in his 200th match wearing the São Paulo shirt, was important in securing the three points. The goalkeeper made two key saves in the first half, first stopping a one-on-one effort from Castillo and then a close-range header from the opposing forward. A decisive display from number 23.

Luciano also stood out. Wearing number 10, he struck a beautiful first-time shot after receiving the ball from Calleri and opened the way for São Paulo’s victory. After that, he was directly involved in Artur’s goal with a backheel pass. He also showed great commitment and covered a lot of ground.

Calleri had a good game at Morumbis. São Paulo’s center forward moved well, was well positioned and, as usual, won duels while holding the ball up with his back to the O’Higgins defense. He provided a fine assist for Luciano’s goal in exactly that fashion, cushioning the ball with his chest for number 10 to fire home from the edge of the box. A goalscorer by trade, this time he had a playmaker’s night, also setting up Artur’s goal.

Speaking of Artur, he was São Paulo’s main protagonist in the second half. The forward had a quieter first half, receiving few balls and with little room to go one-on-one, but he ended the game with a good overall performance, especially because of the goal, his first for the São Paulo side. He combined with Bobadilla, Luciano and then Calleri to receive the ball inside the box and score. He did very well on the play and gave Tricolor more breathing room on the scoreboard.

Lucca, on the other hand, left a lot to be desired. Chosen to replace Ferreira on the left flank, he was fairly involved in the opening minutes, but made poor decisions and was stopped by O’Higgins’ man-marking whenever he tried to take on his defender. After that, he received fewer balls and was unable to show his best football, with his confidence shaken after a string of mistakes.

Finally, Bobadilla also did not have a great performance. The Paraguayan had a more defensive role and was somewhat anonymous in creation and ball circulation.

Standings situation

With the result, São Paulo moved to the top of Group C in the Copa Sudamericana. Tricolor claimed its second win in the tournament, maintained a perfect record, and reached six points.

São Paulo’s next matches

Vasco vs São Paulo (12th round of the Brazilian Championship) Date and time: 04/18 (Saturday), at 6:30 p.m. (Brasília time) Venue: São Januário, in Rio de Janeiro (RJ)

São Paulo vs Juventude (first leg of the fifth round of the Copa do Brasil) Date and time: 04/21 (Tuesday), at 7:15 p.m. (Brasília time) Venue: Morumbis, in São Paulo (SP)

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