São Paulo beats Corinthians in an upset at Morumbi – 09/30/2023 – Sports

São Paulo beat Corinthians 2-1, on Saturday night (30), at Morumbi, in a Brazilian Championship match. Jonathan Calleri scored both goals for the home team, and Romero scored for the visitors.

Dorival Jr.’s team, champion of the Copa do Brasil last Sunday (24), continues its good phase. Between last weekend’s final and this Saturday’s match, the team also beat Coritiba, 2-1, at home, in a late Brazilian game.

With the result, São Paulo has 34 points, provisionally in tenth place. With a place guaranteed in the 2024 Libertadores due to the Copa do Brasil title, the team must only fulfill the table until the end of the year.

Corinthians has a more complicated situation. The team has just changed coach — Mano Menezes arrived to replace Vanderlei Luxemburgo — and remains on 30 points, 5 more than Bahia first in the relegation zone. The distance may decrease depending on the results this Sunday (1st).

Mano Menezes’ team, nevertheless, played in the classic with a mixed team, as they have a decision on Tuesday (3), when they face Fortaleza, away from home, in the semi-finals of the Copa Sudamericana.

The new Corinthians coach was not on the bench during the classic because he had to serve a suspension. He received his third yellow card in his last game in charge of Internacional, in July. The person who commanded the team was Sidnei Lobo, his assistant.

Corinthians took the lead in the third minute of the game. Bruno Méndez stole the ball in midfield and passed it to Ángel Romero, who shot from outside the area to open the scoring. It was his first goal in his second spell at Corinthians — he arrived at the beginning of the season.

But São Paulo dominated the match from then on. More efficient, he kept the ball more and created chances, like one from Wellington Rato, at 17, who headed wide.

In the 39th minute, however, there was no way: after a corner, Rodrigo Nestor finished and Calleri stuck out his foot to deflect and tie the match; Shortly after, at 46, the turning point came, again with the Argentine. He passed it to Alisson — who played well — and ran to receive it inside the area and finish, with no chance for Cássio. The ball reached the attacker after a beautiful pass from Nestor.

And Dorival Jr.’s team maintained dominance in the second stage. Calleri and Lucas forced Cássio to make good saves. Corinthians defended themselves as best they could, but did not have the strength to create. Not even the entry of its main player, Renato Augusto, was able to change the scenario.

São Paulo returns to the field next Saturday (7), when they face Vasco, in Rio, at 6:30 pm; Corinthians, in turn, has a decision on Tuesday (3), when they face Fortaleza, at 9:30 pm, away from home, in the semifinals of the Copa Sudamericana. The first game, at Itaquerão, was 1-1.