Analysis: Santos repeat old mistakes, reinforcements needed

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·15 January 2026

Analysis: Santos repeat old mistakes, reinforcements needed

Santos lost to Palmeiras 1-0 on Wednesday at Arena Barueri, in the second round of the Campeonato Paulista. The Peixe didn't play badly, but made mistakes already known to the fans.

Juan Pablo Vojvoda's team managed to withstand the initial pressure from the hosts and gradually pushed forward to prevent Verdão from playing out. The strategy worked.

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For a good while, the Alvinegro Praiano was even superior to their rivals and had a clear chance to open the scoring at 16 minutes. After a great collective play, Barreal crossed perfectly and Lautaro Díaz, hindered by Khellven, missed the opportunity.

The missed goal proved costly. At 40 minutes, Barreal lost the ball in midfield and Escobar tried to clear it. However, the ball bounced off Veiga and fell perfectly for the alviverde counterattack. Allan and Flaco López exchanged passes and sealed the match.

In the second half, Santos continued to play better and even cornered Palmeiras, but once again, the lack of efficiency came to light. The team made many passing errors and when they found space, their shots were off target. Only in the last minute, with Robinho Jr. and Miguelito, did the visitors manage to make Carlos Miguel work.

The defeat in the classic also highlighted the need for Peixe to seek reinforcements. They lack players to strengthen the squad and make it more resilient for the upcoming marathon, with Paulistão and Brasileirão interspersed.

The left side is a point to be observed. Lautaro Díaz cannot be the winger. It's necessary to find someone – and quickly – to replace Guilherme. In the full-back position, it's time to test Vinícius Lira in place of Escobar. Santos already made a mistake by delaying with Souza and might make the same error with Lira.