São Paulo face tough run for Libertadores spot against rivals | OneFootball

São Paulo is making its final adjustments at the training center because this week they return to compete in the Brasileirão, in a match against Grêmio on Thursday (16), at the arena of the gauchos. This rival was the only one of the next six that Tricolor will face to be defeated in the 1st round of the national competition.

All the other five opponents that São Paulo faces in the next rounds, excluding Grêmio, did not lose to Tricolor. And the list includes names that are directly competing with Crespo's team for qualification to the 2026 Copa Libertadores.

After the clash in the South, São Paulo plays once again away from home, on Sunday (19), against the sensation Mirassol, currently in a surprising 4th place, with 46 points. The team from the interior won at Morumbi in the 1st round, by 2 to 0, and despite being slightly above Tricolor in the standings, in 8th place (38 pts), it is indeed a direct rival in the fight for a spot in the Libertadores.

Then, finally, the team returns to Morumbi, where on the 25th they host Bahia, who defeated us 2 to 1 in May this year, in Salvador. The Bahian team is another that is directly competing with Crespo's squad for a place in the main South American competition next year. Rogério Ceni's team is in 6th place, with 43 points accumulated.

The Tricolor sequence continues with two more teams that defeated us in the 1st round, Vasco and Flamengo. Still in the 12th round of the Brasileirão, again at Morumbi, São Paulo was overwhelmed by Vasco and lost 3 to 1, a result that ended up determining the departure of coach Luis Zubeldía.

Will Morumbi be missed?

Next, it's time to face Flamengo, one of the best teams in the championship, at Vila Belmiro, as their stadium will be occupied for concerts. In the first meeting between the teams, which marked Crespo's return to Tricolor, the Carioca team won 2 to 0 at Maracanã.

Now, São Paulo visits Vasco at São Januário on the 2nd of next month, and then hosts Flamengo at Vila, at 9:30 PM (Brasília time) on November 5th.

To close the commitments before another FIFA Date that still concludes this year, from November 10th to 18th, the World Champion plays once again as the host, but again at Vila Belmiro, against Bragantino, another rival that did not lose to the São Paulo team.

In the 1st round duel, Crespo's second in his return, an electrifying 2 to 2 draw, with Tricolor seeking the equalizer at the end in Bragança Paulista. Today, the teams are directly fighting for a spot in the Libertadores, with Bragantino just behind São Paulo in the standings, in 9th, with only two points less.

With two of these three direct competition games as the host, against Bahia and Bragantino, in addition to Mirassol away, Tricolor has good chances to firmly enter this fight for qualification if they defeat their rivals.

Then, after the break for the last FIFA Date of the year, there will be only five more matches for São Paulo to close the Brasileirão: Corinthians (A), Juventude (H), Fluminense (A), Internacional (H), and Vitória (A).

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