São Paulo win with grit, Lucca a surprise boost for Crespo | OneFootball

São Paulo defeated Juventude this Sunday at Vila Belmiro, in Santos, with sheer determination, playing a game of resilience, as they deal with an extensive list of absences in this final stretch of the Brazilian Championship.

The team led by Hernán Crespo did not play a brilliant game, but benefited from scoring early in the sixth minute, allowing them to play more comfortably and avoid overexposure.

Without left-backs, with only Patryck Lanza as an option, Crespo preferred to improvise the forward Ferreirinha in the position, but he felt discomfort shortly before halftime and did not return for the second half. This was a blow for São Paulo, as he had been one of the standout players in the match.

Lucca was brought in to replace Ferreirinha and had a significant impact on the game. The young player from Cotia showcased beautiful dribbles, provided depth to the team, and tipped the balance in favor of Tricolor.

Once again, Cotia emerges as the savior for a struggling São Paulo, with no alternatives to replace those absent due to physical issues amid the fight for a spot in the 2026 pre-Libertadores.

Coach Hernán Crespo has already made it clear that the youngsters from the youth categories should not bear the responsibility of leading the team next season, but if Lucca maintains the level of performance he showed this Sunday, it will be hard to leave him out of the team.

There is still a lot to happen in this final stretch of the Brazilian Championship. São Paulo has reclaimed the eighth place, but with each passing round, they have fewer players available.

Ferreirinha might be the latest casualty in the squad, which is already dealing with 12 other injuries. Additionally, Rafael and Sabino received their third yellow card and will not face Fluminense next Thursday due to automatic suspension.

Therefore, the match at Maracanã will be another trial by fire for São Paulo, which, despite Crespo's efforts not to place the burden on the shoulders of the Cotia youngsters, will most likely have to rely on the youth academy players to try to remain competitive.

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