São Paulo were unable to turn a promising opportunity into a derby victory, drawing 0-0 with Corinthians in the 34th round of the Brazilian Championship. Dorival Júnior’s team created numerous chances but lacked the finishing touch, while the result did little to lift the mood around the club late in the season.
The teams arrived with contrasting stakes. São Paulo were clear of both the Libertadores places and the relegation zone, while Corinthians had 36 points and sat 18th. A defeat would have worsened Corinthians’ position in the closing stretch of the campaign.
Hours before kickoff, São Paulo received R$50 million from Ticketmaster. The club used the money to reduce overdue payments to players, covering two months of image-rights payments and an installment of an agreement made earlier in the year to settle debts from 2025. The financial boost did not translate into a win.
São Paulo started brightly at Vila Belmiro, creating two good chances, but their poor finishing persisted throughout the match. Corinthians then took control and came closest in the first half when Yuri Alberto was denied by goalkeeper Rafael.
Dorival made a tactical change, starting Newton in midfield in a 4-4-2 rather than the 3-5-2 the team had been using. The previous shape returned after an injury to Garro, when Newton moved back into defence. Heavy rain and the poor condition of the pitch also hindered São Paulo’s attempts to move the ball quickly, while Lucas struggled to find space under close marking.
Calleri replaced Artur at half-time, and São Paulo improved after the break. Luciano, Calleri and Pedro Lima each had strong chances to score. Pedro Lima’s effort was cleared off the line by Angileri, as the home side again failed to make its opportunities count.
Yuri Alberto was sent off close to the 40th minute of the second half, but São Paulo could not exploit its numerical advantage. Dorival kept two centre-backs and a defensive midfielder in the back line, later explaining that the setup was intended to guard against set pieces. Corinthians defended with its nine remaining outfield players, limiting the space available, and the match ended goalless.
With the draw, São Paulo missed what the report described as one of its last chances to give supporters a lift this season. A place in the Libertadores now appears to require a major turnaround.
Sources: Globo Esporte.