São Paulo Triumphs Over Bolívar to Set Up Copa Sudamericana Quarterfinal Clash with Boca Juniors
The quarterfinal round of the 2026 Copa Sudamericana promises an exciting matchup as São Paulo FC prepares to take on Boca Juniors. São Paulo advanced following a solid 3-1 victory against Bolívar this Tuesday in front of a crowd of 42,087 fans at MorumBIS, securing progression with a 4-2 aggregate score. This win marked an end to their six-match winless streak, a period during which the team had not scored more than two goals in their previous 21 matches.
As the team shifts its focus to the Brazilian Championship, they aim for a turnaround in their league performance.
A Goal-Scoring Start for São Paulo
Under coach Dorival’s guidance, São Paulo aimed to break free from its recent inconsistent performances. The team quickly established control, demonstrating its strengths with a well-coordinated passing maneuver that resulted in an early lead. Iago set up Danielzinho, who assisted Luciano in scoring his 114th goal for the club. Although Iago had an excellent opportunity to extend the lead, São Paulo managed to hold their advantage as they headed into halftime.
A Tense Moment Followed by Relief
A moment of tension followed as Luciano missed a chance that later proved costly, allowing Asprilla to find an unmarked spot and level the score at 61 minutes. However, the São Paulo side quickly restored their lead when Echeverría committed a handball, resulting in a penalty kick. Julián Calleri confidently converted the penalty in the 68th minute, providing much-needed relief. The team sealed their victory with a header from Sabino in the 76th minute.
What Lies Ahead for São Paulo
With this victory, São Paulo is set to face Boca Juniors in the upcoming Sudamericana quarterfinals, scheduled for matches between September 8 and 17. Potential semifinal opponents include River Plate, Santa Fe, Independiente, Olimpia, or Vasco.
After this victory, São Paulo intends to bounce back in the Brazilian Championship when they visit Chapecoense on Sunday, the 23rd. The team currently sits in 13th place and will be looking to break a nine-match winless streak as they face the league’s bottom team.
The quarterfinal stage of the 2026 Copa Sudamericana will indeed feature a major “Libertadores showdown.”
After Boca Juniors crushed Paraguay’s Recoleta 7-1 on aggregate, São Paulo did its part against Bolívar this Tuesday (18) in front of 42,087 fans.
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It won 3-1 at MorumBIS, advancing 4-2 on aggregate.
It was the end of a six-match winless run after 21 games without scoring at least three goals.
The focus now shifts to a turnaround in the Brazilian Championship.
Check out the highlights soon.
Well-worked move and SPFC take the lead
Dorival’s team’s mission was to overcome its own inconsistency, control the action, and then let its greatest quality shine through.
All it took was one precise passing sequence and players competently “attacking the space” for the Tricolor to go in front.
Iago played it to Danielzinho, and Luciano scored his 114th goal for the Tricolor.
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Iago had a good chance to extend the lead, SPFC did drop back at times, but it went into halftime deserving its advantage.
A scare and… Calleri gets them!
The Tricolor fans went through some tense minutes.
The chance Luciano failed to take soon proved costly after the Tricolor defense failed to stop Asprilla from receiving the ball unmarked and leveling the score (61′).
But the relief did not take long to come. Echeverría intercepted the ball with his left hand, which resulted in a penalty.
And the revitalized Calleri converted it (68′).
Peace of mind finally came thanks to Sabino in the air (76′).
What now❓
São Paulo will face the already mentioned Boca Juniors in the Sudamericana quarterfinals.
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The matches will be played between September 8 and 17.
A possible semifinal opponent would be River Plate, Santa Fe, Independiente Olimpia, or Vasco.
The Tricolor will be back in action on Sunday (23), when it visits Chapecoense.
It is now nine rounds without a win in the Brazilian Championship.
It currently sits 13th and will face 20th place next.
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.
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