Santos beats Palmeiras and takes the lead in the Paulistão final

This Sunday (31), on a brilliant night in Vila Belmiro, Santos ends Palmeiras' unbeaten run and defeats their rival by a score of 1-0 in their quest for the Campeonato Paulista title. The winning goal was scored by Otero, Peixe's number seven, increasing the pressure on the Alviverde team, which needs to win by two goals in the next match to win the title.

Santos threatens, but Palmeiras has the best chance

The match started with Santos taking the initiative, showing superiority in possession of the ball and looking for a goal early on. Despite the chances created, Fabio Carile's team failed to convert their opportunities into goals in the first half. On the other hand, Palmeiras had the best chance of the first half coming from Flaco López, who stopped after a great save from João Paulo. Without any major moments of danger, the teams went to halftime with the score 0-0.

_{First goalless half for Santos and Palmeiras at Vila Belmiro (Photo: reproduction/Instagram/@paulistao)}

Santos Advantage

In the second half, Santos continued to show aggression on the field. Just two minutes in, a masterful play by Guilherme on the left flank resulted in a precise cross for Otero, who found the way to the goal for Peixe, opening the score with a header for the home team.

After the goal, Palmeiras tried to react, but their attempts to create clear scoring opportunities were frustrated by Santos' defense. Coach Abel Ferreira opted for some substitutions, including Richard Rios replacing Endrick, who was not playing well.

As the match progressed and exceeded 30 minutes, the Palmeirense coach's changes seemed to take effect. Palmeiras intensified its pressure on its rival, balancing the game and threatening the opponent's goal. Rony, who also came on in the second half, came close to scoring, but was prevented from doing so by another confident save from João Paulo. As a result, despite the efforts of the visiting team in search of a draw, Peixe managed to hold on defensively and secured a 1-0 victory.

_{Otero scores the winning goal for Santista over Palmeiras (Photo: reproduction/ Instagram/ @paulistao)}

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