Primavera SP took a narrow 2-1 victory away to Oeste in the fifth group stage match of the Copa Paulista on Saturday. The result means the visitors extend their unbeaten run and move further clear in the standings.
And here's the thing about this one — it was over before most people settled in. Diego Aragão put his own net in the way at the fourth minute, and Kauan Cunha added a second just two minutes later. By then Oeste had already lost their shape, and the game fell apart.
G. Mina pulled one back for the hosts on the stroke of half-time, but that was as close as they would get. Primavera had done enough to deserve their lead, and they protected it through a patchy middle period where neither side could really string anything together.
Then the second half turned ugly. Cerezo picked up a yellow card at sixty-two minutes before being shown the red for his trouble. Another Oeste player followed him out the door a minute later, and suddenly the visitors were playing with a man advantage while still holding their slender lead.
To be fair, Primavera didn't panic. They switched to a more defensive approach, threw bodies in the way, and saw out the remaining time without further incident. The clean-sheet run came to an end, but the three points were secured.
This result means Oeste now face a tougher road in the group, while Primavera SP will look to build on this away victory. The history between them adds an edge — Primavera had already beaten them 2-0 earlier this season, and this win keeps them firmly in contention.