Abel on Palmeiras v São Paulo: Dubious call, we were better | OneFootball

Palmeiras defeated São Paulo 2-1 on Sunday night in a match held at Arena Crefisa Barueri and advanced to the final of the Campeonato Paulista. The Tricolor team reduced the deficit on the scoreboard with a penalty, which Abel Ferreira described as a “questionable call”. The Portuguese coach praised his team's performance and analyzed the match.

“We started the game very well, with or without the ball, a dynamic team. The opponent pulled Luciano back a bit, gave us space, and we found our midfielders well. The way we made it 2-0 was fair. We also had a well-executed transition in the first half where Piquerez could have passed to Allan, but those are the players’ decisions. In the second half, we started well once again,” he analyzed.

“The opponent got into the game because of a questionable call. From the moment they scored the penalty, they started to believe. The game became more balanced, but it was nothing we weren’t expecting. It’s normal. We were controlling our opponent well. Apart from shots from outside the box, they created almost nothing. Evenly matched teams, with good players, fighting for the same goals. Today we were better over the 90 minutes,” he continued.

Palmeiras took a 2-0 lead, with a goal from Mauricio in the first half and Flaco López in the second. Referee Daiane Muniz awarded a penalty to São Paulo in the 20th minute of the second half. Calleri converted and reduced the deficit. Shortly before, Tricolor players complained about a possible handball when the ball allegedly hit Gómez’s arm.

“The teams facing each other are in good form this season. São Paulo is competing with us for first place in the Brasileirão and has been doing a great job in recent matches. They had already lost here 3-1 in the first phase. I’ve said several times that, in my opinion, they played well, have good players, a good coach, they just need consistency, because the quality is there,” said Abel.

Palmeiras’ Situation

With the win, Palmeiras reached their seventh consecutive Campeonato Paulista final and will face Novorizontino in the decider. With the second-best campaign among the finalists, Verdão will play the first leg at home, while the return leg will be away.

Palmeiras’ Next Match

Match: Palmeiras vs Novorizontino Competition: Campeonato Paulista (Final, first leg) Date and time: March 4, 2026 (Wednesday), time to be determined Venue: Arena Crefisa Barueri

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