São Paulo Secures Late Victory with Rigoni's Stoppage-Time Strike

Santos, Brazil — São Paulo secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Juventude on Sunday at Estádio Vila Belmiro, with substitute Emiliano Rigoni delivering a decisive stoppage-time strike to cap an eventful contest marked by numerous cards and late drama.

The hosts wasted no time establishing their dominance, taking the lead in just the 7th minute. Damián Bobadilla found the net with a left-footed shot from very close range to the center of the goal, sending the São Paulo supporters into early celebrations. The early breakthrough energized the home side, who controlled the tempo throughout much of the first half despite accumulating two yellow cards within the opening 27 minutes.

The match grew increasingly physical as Juventude fought to find an equalizer, with both sides exchanging cautions. The visitors made tactical adjustments at halftime, bringing on Ênio for Jádson in an attempt to generate more attacking opportunities. The substitution sparked improved play from Juventude, who began to threaten the São Paulo defense with more regularity as the second half progressed.

The contest took a decisive turn in the 86th minute when Juventude's Igor Formiga was shown a straight red card, reducing the visitors to ten men for the crucial final minutes. São Paulo capitalized on the numerical advantage almost immediately, bringing on fresh legs with Emiliano Rigoni replacing Gonzalo Tapia in the 87th minute. The substitution proved inspired when Rigoni made his mark in the fourth minute of stoppage time, unleashing a left-footed shot from outside the box that found the bottom right corner to double São Paulo's lead and seemingly seal the victory.

However, Juventude refused to surrender, pulling one back through an unexpected source in the sixth minute of stoppage time when São Paulo's Nahuel Ferraresi inadvertently turned the ball into his own net. The late consolation came too late for the visitors to mount a complete comeback, as São Paulo held firm in the final seconds to secure all three points.

The victory showcased São Paulo's resilience and tactical flexibility, particularly after weathering Juventude's improved second-half performance. The late drama provided an exciting conclusion to what had been an intensely contested match featuring seven yellow cards and one red. For Juventude, despite the defeat, their spirited performance and late goal demonstrated their fighting spirit even when reduced to ten men in challenging circumstances.