Analysis: defensive frailty proves costly for Santos in Brasileiro opener | OneFootball

Santos kicked off the 2026 Brazilian Championship with a 4-2 defeat to Chapecoense, away from home, this Wednesday. The result could have been better, but the team's defensive frailty proved very costly.

Peixe was better for practically the entire 90 minutes, dominating possession and pinning their rivals back. However, the first mistake came as early as the 13th minute. João Schmidt failed to stop a counterattack, and Alexis Duarte didn't intercept the pass that left Ítalo one-on-one with Brazão, who committed a penalty.

Despite the slip, the São Paulo side managed to keep their composure and, still in the first half, equalized with a stunning goal from Gabriel Menino. The turnaround came in the second half, with Barreal. It then seemed that Santos was on track for a win. In the final stretch of the match, however, the defense completely fell apart.

All of Chapecoense's goals came from mistakes. Alexis Duarte, making his debut for the year, left the field as one of the main villains. Young Vinicius Lira also had a below-par game and made important errors.

The match highlighted, once again, that Santos needs reinforcements. With Rony arriving, the focus now must be on defense and midfield, more specifically a defensive midfielder to provide competition for Schmidt. In the backline, it's impossible to be competitive with Duarte, Zé Ivaldo, Luan Peres, and Adonis Frías.

Now, the Alvinegro Praiano will have two consecutive derbies, both against São Paulo, one in the Campeonato Paulista and the other in the Brasileirão. The club is coming off five games without a win this season – four in the State Championship and one in Série A.

Next Santos match

See also: All the news from Gazeta Esportiva Gazeta Esportiva's YouTube Channel Follow Gazeta Esportiva on Instagram

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.