São Paulo Secures 2-0 Win Over Santos, Revitalizing Their Paulistão Campaign

In a commanding display at Morumbi Stadium on January 31, 2026, São Paulo defeated Santos 2-0 in the sixth round of the Campeonato Paulista. The match was a crucial turning point for São Paulo, whose goals came from Tapia and Luciano, helping the team recover from a three-game winless streak and climb to 11th place with seven points.

The tightly contested first half featured several yellow cards and a pivotal red card shown to Santos' Gabriel Menino just before halftime, leaving Santos with ten players. São Paulo dominated the initial 45 minutes but failed to capitalize until the early second half. Tapia broke the deadlock in the 50th minute with a deflected shot, and Luciano secured the win by scoring in the 56th minute after a VAR review confirmed his onside position.

The game, witnessed by a crowd of 49,605 generating R$ 2,305,166 in revenue, highlighted São Paulo's tactical adjustments by coach Hernán Crespo, including introducing Lucas and Enzo Díaz at halftime to bolster the attack. Santos, struggling under coach Juan Pablo Vojvoda, are enduring a six-match winless streak across competitions and slipped to 12th place with six points, just two points above the relegation zone.

Looking ahead, the teams will meet again in the upcoming second round of the Campeonato Brasileiro, adding another layer of rivalry. São Paulo's confidence has been buoyed by this victory, especially following their recent win against Flamengo, while Santos faces increasing pressure to reverse their poor run.

This victory not only solidifies São Paulo's quest to reach the knockout stage of the Paulistão but also delivers a setback to their long-time rivals, deepening the competitive tension between the clubs.