Analysis: São Paulo profit from draw, can't let it mask problems | OneFootball

São Paulo took a valuable point from Beira-Rio by drawing 1-1 with Internacional on Wednesday night in the ninth round of the Brazilian Championship. The result, however, cannot hide another poor performance from Roger Machado’s team, which had a full week to prepare for the match because of the FIFA international break. The team showed very little improvement and disappointed once again.

How did the match go?

Coach Roger Machado is beginning to give São Paulo his own identity. He changed the tactical setup and brought back the traditional 4-2-3-1. He gave Pablo Maia a chance in midfield, while forward Artur had the opportunity to make his debut for the club. Luciano started as a number 10, and Marcos Antônio played more down the left.

São Paulo started the match well, looking more dynamic than in recent games. The team had some moments of defensive inattentiveness, but offered more going forward, with greater movement among the midfielders and attackers. Artur’s presence on the right gave Tricolor more depth, especially through his link-up with Lucas Ramon on that side.

At certain moments, it was possible to see a dynamic in which Artur dropped deeper to receive the ball and create, freeing up the flank for Lucas Ramon to overlap. With that idea, along with Danielzinho and Marcos Antônio playing closer to the opposition box, São Paulo managed to put together some good moves early in the first half.

Despite the good attacking attempts, São Paulo’s defense looked disorganized in the opening minutes, giving Internacional space, especially down Wendell’s side. It was precisely from a move on the left that Tricolor fell behind. Wendell stepped out to mark another player, Pablo Maia failed to provide proper cover to block the cross, and Tolói arrived late on Alerrandro’s finish.

After conceding, São Paulo had more possession but was unable to trouble Internacional. Artur seemed to be the only one eager to play, without much support from his teammates. Tricolor became too reliant on attacking down the flanks and forgot that its main creative players are in midfield, attempting too many crosses and aerial balls. In short, Roger Machado’s team started well enough, but succumbed to anxiety after going behind.

Second half

São Paulo came back for the second half with one change: Danielzinho made way for Cauly. With the switch, Roger Machado moved Marcos Antônio into a more central role, with the number 80 drifting more to the left. The substitution, however, was far from having an immediate effect. The idea was to generate more play down the left flank, but that barely happened.

Around the 15-minute mark of the second half, São Paulo controlled possession and began winning midfield duels again, but still failed to create major scoring chances. Tricolor, however, remained shaky at the back and also had to be more cautious because of Inter’s pace on the counterattack.

Given the situation, Roger Machado tried two more substitutions, bringing on Ferreira and Cédric Soares for Marcos Antônio and Lucas Ramon, respectively. With that, the coach gave the attack more firepower, but lost yet another important piece in midfield. The team then switched to a 4-3-3 with very wide wingers.

Late in the match, after creating a good chance that Calleri wasted, São Paulo finally found the equalizer in a move started by Wendell. The full-back found space, drove forward with the ball and sent in a cross to the far post. Calleri appeared behind Inter’s defenders and finished first time to make it all square.

Standings situation

São Paulo came away fortunate with the draw, since it did not perform well and could even have suffered a third straight defeat. Producing the same bureaucratic football full of crosses was certainly not what the fans expected after a week of training. Now it is up to Roger Machado to provide an answer in the next match.

With the result, São Paulo went a third straight match without a win, with two defeats and a draw. The team from São Paulo state reached 17 points, but lost second place after Fluminense beat Corinthians. Tricolor, currently in fourth, could still drop out of the top four if Flamengo beats Red Bull Bragantino away on Thursday.

São Paulo’s next matches

São Paulo vs Cruzeiro (10th round of the Brazilian Championship) Date and time: 04/04 (Saturday), 6:30 p.m. (Brasília time) Venue: Morumbis, in São Paulo (SP)

Boston River-URU vs São Paulo (first round of the Copa Sudamericana) Date and time: 07/04 (Tuesday), 9:30 p.m. (Brasília time) Venue: Estadio Centenario, in Montevideo (Uruguay)

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