Part 3/7:
Interestingly, São Paulo has indicated that they will field a reserve squad for this critical match. This decision begs the question—why would a team intentionally hamstring their chances against a bitter rival? With their current standing securing a 6th place finish, the intent seems more about preserving energy and resources rather than passionately going for a win. After all, during earlier encounters, even a fully loaded São Paulo struggled against Botafogo, having lost both league matches and been knocked out of the Libertadores by them.