Santos and São Paulo entered the field at Vila Belmiro still without having convinced the season, but after this Sunday’s classic (29), which ended with a resounding 3-0 victory for Tricolor, one is relieved and the other pressured. Santos still doesn’t have a coach after the dismissal of Fábio Carille last Friday (18), while São Paulo is enjoying a sequence of four games without losing in the Paulista Championship, after not having won once in the first three commitments.
TRICOLOR WIN!!!
With goals from Eder, against Bauermann and Rodrigo Nestor, São Paulo beat Santos in Vila Belmiro!#FootballPaulista #Paulistao22
? Bob Paulino / Ag. Paulistão pic.twitter.com/nuICIioZTU— Paulistao (@Paulistao) February 20, 2022
The first half of the duel in Baixada Santista was intense, if not in terms of chances created, at least in discussions. The players of both teams exchanged barbs more than once and Santos asked for a penalty in two plays. However, it was the visiting team who scored: in the 21st minute, Nikão’s cross from the right found Éder’s head. The forward’s deflection found in an indefensible way the right corner of goalkeeper João Paulo, opening the scoring.
In the second half, slightly free from the momentary pressure due to the bad results for being ahead on the scoreboard, São Paulo went more to the attack and ended up winning. The match was decided with two goals in a row.
In the 20th minute, after a counterattack, Gabriel Sara was launched into the opponent’s area but even before he could finish, defender Eduardo Bauermann, when trying to make the cut, got tangled up with him and ended up deflecting it to his own goal, scoring against.
Five minutes later, completely free from marking, midfielder Rodrigo Nestor took a risk from outside the area and found the nets, with no chance of defense for João Paulo.
Ederinho scored! ??#VamoSãoPaulo ?? pic.twitter.com/Sr1Ob1I4yg
— Sao Paulo FC (@SaoPauloFC) February 21, 2022
Under protests from Santos fans, the match ended with a 3-0 victory for Tricolor, which now reached 11 points in group B, occupying second place, behind São Bernardo. Santos has nine points and is in second place in group D, behind Red Bull Bragantino.
Before returning to the field for the Campeonato Paulista next weekend, the two teams have important commitments in the middle of the week for the first phase of the Copa do Brasil. Both work outside the home. On Wednesday (23), Santos visit Salgueiro, in Pernambuco. The next day, it’s São Paulo’s turn to go to Paraíba to face Campinense. Both Alvinegro Praiano and Tricolor have the advantage of drawing to advance to the next stage. As the duel will be decided in a single game, a defeat means an early elimination and even more turmoil for the start of the season for the teams.
