São Paulo beat Red Bull Bragantino 2:1 in the 25th round of Brazil's Serie A at Morumbi on Friday evening. The hosts took the lead through a penalty before the visitors equalised just before half-time, but a late strike from Fernando Santos secured all three points for the home side.
Luciano opened the scoring in the 14th minute from the spot, a moment that shifted the tempo at Morumbi. Red Bull Bragantino pushed back, and G. Santana dragged them level with a goal in stoppage time before the break. By then the match had settled into a rhythm neither side could quite control.
The second half wore on with both teams searching for a winner. São Paulo brought on Eric Ramires and Vinicinho together in the 46th minute, while Bragantino responded with Lucas Barbosa and J. Herrera. The turning point came in the 90th minute when Fernando Santos ended a barren spell with a decisive finish.
The statistics tell an uneven story. São Paulo held just 38 per cent possession but registered seven shots on target compared to their opponents' three. Red Bull Bragantino dominated the ball with 62 per cent possession but could not find the same penetration, their shots accuracy sitting at 38 per cent against 44 per cent for the hosts.
The result leaves São Paulo in 11th place with 30 points from 24 games, while Red Bull Bragantino remain eighth on 35 points. The hosts had lost their last league fixture 1:0 to Chapecoense, and this win ended that run. Bragantino's recent form included a 1:0 victory over Grêmio, but the consistency they showed elsewhere did not translate here.
