São Paulo came away with a crucial 2-1 win against Internacional in a tightly contested match held at the Estádio Beira-Rio for the 18th round of the Brasileirao. Robert Arboleda opened the scoring for São Paulo in the 43rd minute of the first half with a powerful header. Damián Bobadilla doubled the lead in the second half with an impressive goal, netting at the 30-minute mark.
While Internacional sought to alter the course of the game, they only managed to find the back of the net once, with Bruno Tabata scoring from the penalty spot in the 43rd minute of the second half.
The standout performance came from Robert Arboleda, who not only scored but also made five crucial clearances to keep his team in front. Damián Bobadilla was another key player, contributing a goal and looking for more opportunities to extend the lead.
Internacional’s manager, Roger Machado, set up his team in a 3-5-2 formation with Sergio Rochet guarding the goal, supported by a defense consisting of Juninho, Gabriel Mercado, and Clayton Sampaio. The midfield was composed of Alan Benítez, Luis Otávio, Alan Rodríguez, Alexandro Bernabei, and Bruno Tabata, with Enner Valencia and Rafael Santos Borré leading the attack.
On the other hand, São Paulo’s coach Hernán Crespo opted for a similar 3-5-2 formation, featuring Rafael in goal; Nahuel Ferraresi, Robert Arboleda, and Sabino in defense; Cedric Soares, Damián Bobadilla, Marcos Antônio, Enzo Díaz, and Alisson in midfield; and Luciano and André Silva upfront.
The match was officiated by referee Alex Gomes Stefano.
In their next fixture, Internacional will travel to face RB Bragantino, while São Paulo will host Vitória.
With this result, Internacional remains with 25 points, situated in 8th place, while São Paulo climbs to 21 points, now in 13th position in the league.
Substitutions for Internacional
45’ 2T – Luis Otávio was replaced by Richard
63’ 2T – Enner Valencia was substituted for Johan Carbonero and Rafael Santos Borré was replaced by Ricardo Mathias
76’ 2T – Alan Rodríguez made way for Wesley
77’ 2T – Clayton Sampaio was substituted by Thiago Maia
Yellow cards for Internacional:
44’ 1T Enner Valencia (arguing with an opponent) and 7’ 2T Rafael Santos Borré (unsporting behavior)
Substitutions for São Paulo
61’ 2T – André Silva left the field for Gonzalo Tapia
73’ 2T – Alisson was substituted by Pablo Maia
83’ 2T – Damián Bobadilla was replaced by Luan Santos and Luciano made way for Lucas Ferreira
Yellow cards for São Paulo:
44’ 1T Luciano (arguing with an opponent) and 24’ 2T Gonzalo Tapia (unsporting behavior)