Paulistão 2025: Teams Fight for Playoff Spots and Survival

São Paulo, Brazil — The 2025 Campeonato Paulista is nearing its knockout stage, with only Corinthians, São Paulo, and Novorizontino securing their places thus far. As the competition intensifies, teams are battling not only for playoff positioning but also to avoid relegation.

Currently, at the bottom of the overall standings, Inter de Limeira, Água Santa, and Noroeste are at significant risk of dropping to the lower division. While Corinthians holds a comfortable position at the top of Group A, teams like Palmeiras face challenging scenarios that could lead to elimination.

Corinthians leads with 26 points after 11 matches, having achieved 8 wins, 2 draws, and only 1 loss. Behind them, São Bernardo sits in second with 22 points, followed closely by Ponte Preta with 19 points. Palmeiras, however, is in a precarious fourth place with only 17 points and needs to win their remaining games to secure a playoff spot.

In the fight to avoid relegation, Velo Clube has 9 points, while both Água Santa and Inter de Limeira are tied with 6 points each. Only one team from this trio will be able to escape the drop if they manage to win their final matches and hope for favorable outcomes elsewhere.

“Every game matters now,” said a spokesperson from the Botafogo-SP team, which is also struggling to rise from contention for relegation. “We need to focus and take points from our remaining matches.”

This week’s matchups will be crucial. On Thursday, São Bernardo will face Portuguesa at Pacaembu Stadium. A win for the Tigre will assure their place in the next round.

Meanwhile, in Group A, Mirassol is on the verge of qualification as they prepare to face Red Bull Bragantino. A draw will suffice for Mirassol, while Botafogo-SP must triumph over Palmeiras to stay in contention for advancement.

The games this week will determine not just playoff brackets but also who among the strugglers will continue their journey in the state’s top league. With only two matches remaining in the group stage, every point on offer is pivotal.

As the Paulista Championship reaches its end, the tension is palpable, and teams are gearing up for decisive matches that could shape the league’s future. Fans will be eagerly watching to see how the situation unfolds as clubs fight for survival and a shot at the championship.