With mixed squad, Sao Paulo beats Inter in Brazilian league before crucial Libertadores match

Sao Paulo were beaten 3-1 by Internacional on Sunday at the Morumbis Stadium in the Brazilian championship. With the Libertadores in focus, Tricolore went out on the pitch with a mixed team and took the lead until Luciano crossed, but suffered a turnaround and lost the chance to enter the G4. Bruno Gomes, Thiago Maia and Alain Patrick scored for Inter.

With this result, coach Luis Zubeldia’s team remained in fifth place in the standings with 44 points. The team could have finished fourth, after Flamengo lost to Gremio in South Colorado, in turn, despite getting the three points, it remains in eighth place and is close to Tricolor with 41 points.

Sao Paulo’s next match in the Brazilian league is nothing short of a classic. The team faces Corinthians next Sunday. The Majestoso match will be played in Brasilia, at 4 pm (Brasilia time).

But before that, the tricolor team hosts Botafogo in the second leg of the Copa Libertadores quarter-finals. In the first leg, Sao Paulo drew 0-0, and the decisive match will be held on Wednesday, at 9:30 p.m., at the Morumbis stadium.

On the other hand, Internacional, who have already been eliminated from the cups, will play a postponed match against Red Bull Bragantino, in the 16th round of the Italian League. The match is scheduled to take place on Wednesday at 7 pm, at the Nabi Abi Shadid Stadium.

The game

The match started in Morumbis. Just a minute into the game, Igor Vinicius sent a cross into the penalty area, where Lucas headed hard and forced Rocher into a great save. Internacional responded at five, opening the scoring through Wesley, but the linesman had already ruled out offside.

In the next move, Luciano did not forgive and scored for the first time. He received a pass from Lucas, controlled the ball in the area and curled it into the corner to put Sao Paulo ahead.

Tricolor controlled the game and almost scored a second goal in the 16th minute. Luciano received a throw-in inside the penalty area and shot a scissor kick but sent it over the goal. The ball hit the crossbar. Two minutes later, Bobadilla shot from the edge of the penalty area and put the ball in the fork. Pressure from Sao Paulo on Morumbis!

But Inter managed to balance their actions and almost equalised after 32 minutes. After a beautiful plot, Alain Patrick entered the area and finished the ball with his left foot. The ball went very close to the post, which was defended by Jandry. In the 36th minute, Gustavo Prado was exposed to danger from outside the area, but the Sao Paulo goalkeeper saved it.

Colorado put so much pressure on the team that they left things as they were at the end of the first half, in the 41st minute. Thiago Maia passed to Bruno Gomes who controlled the area and shot it from the left into the corner, with no chance for Leandre. 1 to 1 on the scoreboard in favor of Morumbis.

Second half

Sao Paulo tried to put Inter under pressure in the second half, but the visitors turned the game around in the eighth minute. Igor Vinicius cleared a cross from Alan Patrick, but the ball fell to Thiago Maia. He fired accurately and put Colorado ahead.

Thiago Maia’s goal ignited Internacional even more. At 17, the Rio Grande do Sul side extended their lead with a stunning goal from Alan Patrick. After a mistake when São Paulo released the ball, the midfielder received a free kick on the edge of the box and fired powerfully past Jandry for the visitors’ third.

Tricolor almost lost in the 32nd minute. William Gomez received the ball on the right, cut the penalty mark and shot the ball low, but Roche extended the ball and saved it wonderfully.

Technical paper
Sao Paulo 1 x 3 International

location: Morumbis Stadium, in Sao Paulo (SP)
date: September 22, 2024 (Sunday)
time: 6:30 PM (Brasilia time)
arbitrator: Ramon Abate Abel (FIFA-SC)
Assistants: Alex Dos Santos (SC) and Thiago Henrique Neto Correia Farinha (RJ)
Video Assistant Referee: Rodolfo Toschi Marquez (FIFA-PR)
Yellow cards: Wesley (international); Andre Silva, Eric, William Gomes, Calleri and Rodrigo Nestor (Sao Paulo)
Red cards: no one
general: 39,078 likes
income: 2,083,806.00 Brazilian Real

Objectives: Luciano, at 5 minutes in the first quarter (Sao Paulo); Bruno Gomes, at 41 minutes in the first half (international); Thiago Maia, at 8 minutes in the second half (international); Alan Patrick, at 17 minutes in the second round (international)

Sao Paulo: Jandry; Igor Vinicius, Ruan, Ferrarisi and Michel Araujo; Bobadilla (Galupo), Marcos Antonio (Lizeiro), and Luciano (Caleri); Lucas (William Gomes), Eric (Rodrigo Nestor) and Andre Silva.
idiomatic: Luis Zubeldia

international: Priest’s shirt; Bruno Gomes, Gabriel Mercado (Agustin Rogel), Fitao and Bernabé; Fernando (Romulo), Thiago Maia (Bruno Henrique), Gustavo Prado (Wanderson), Alan Patrick; Wesley and Rafael Borre (Enner Valencia).
idiomatic: Roger Machado