Athletico-PR vs São Paulo Prediction: São Paulo must react to last game's humiliation

São Paulo's performance in the classic with Palmeiras was too bad to be true. The historic 5-0 defeat to the rival broke the hearts of the Tricolor fans. In 10th place, Dorival Jr.'s team is still without an away win in the Brasileirão, and in this round, São Paulo will once again be playing far from the Morumbi. The host is Athletico-PR, who hasn't lost in four games and is in fifth place in the table. The opposition is tough, but São Paulo needs to react to its humiliating defeat.

The Hurricane can take advantage of the fact that it is playing at home again to add a second consecutive win. In the last round, the Paranaenses won 3-2 against América-MG and are now just two points behind Palmeiras and Flamengo, 3rd and 4th on 50 points. Athletico hasn't lost for four games and only in the last round faced a more vulnerable team. In the other three matches, Bragantino, Grêmio, and Botafogo, teams at the top of the league, struggled against the Hurricane. Athletico Paranense can move up to the fourth place, at least temporarily, as Flamengo postponed its match in this round.

Only a win at the Athletic ground could lessen the disappointment suffered at the Allianz Parque. The 5-0 defeat against Palmeiras will remain firmly in the fans' memory, who expect a strong reaction from their team. Qualification for next year's Copa Sudamericana is far from guaranteed, so São Paulo really needs to start picking up points on the road. The Paulistas' schedule is very demanding, and they need to up their game to at least maintain their position. Qualification for the Copa Libertadores seems almost impossible at the moment.

Athletico is enjoying a good run of form and is the favorite to win at home. How São Paulo will perform at the Ligga Arena is the big unknown. Will the Paulistas react with determination to the heavy defeat in their last game, or will they be discouraged and lacking in confidence? If Athletico scores an early goal, it could leave Dorival Jr.'s team even more unsettled, so it's important for São Paulo to start the game well. I'm going to bet on the home team winning, which is theoretically the most likely outcome, although there is a chance that the São Paulo players will play with the will to redeem themselves.