Barreal matches top scoring season, nears elite Santos list | OneFootball

Santos managed to secure a 2-2 draw against Botafogo last Sunday at Nilton Santos Stadium, in a match valid for the 30th round of the Brazilian Championship. The goals for Peixe were scored by Souza and Barreal, who reached an important individual milestone.

Enjoying a good spell at Santos, Barreal expertly converted a penalty and scored the team’s equalizer at Nilton Santos. With this goal, the Argentine reached eight goals and matched his two most prolific seasons of his career: 2022 and 2023.

In the current season for Peixe, Barreal has eight goals and one assist in 28 matches, starting 21 of them. He is on loan to the club from FC Cincinnati, United States, with a contract until the end of the year.

Barreal is on the rise at Santos (Photo: Raul Baretta/ Santos FC)

Before this, Barreal also had two other seasons with eight goals, both for Cincinnati. However, the forward needed more games to reach that mark. In 2022, it took him 36 matches, while in 2023 he needed 46 appearances.

On the other hand, Barreal’s ‘playmaker’ side was more prominent in those two years compared to this season at Santos. In 2022, the midfielder contributed five assists. The following year, he provided 12 assists.

Barreal nears Santos’ select list

Barreal also came very close to joining a select list at Santos. With his goal against Botafogo, the Argentine moved closer to the top 10 of the club’s all-time top foreign scorers.

The number 22 shares the 11th spot in the ranking with his compatriot Montillo, who played for Peixe between 2013 and 2014. He is one goal away from matching Argentine Julio Furch (2023 to 2025) and Paraguayan Derlis González, who share ninth place with nine goals each.

The leader of Peixe’s foreign top scorer list is Carlos Sánchez from Uruguay. He played for the team from 2018 to 2021 and scored 32 goals during that period. Colombian Copete is in second place – he scored 26 goals between 2016 and 2021.

Argentine went from substitute to starter under Vojvoda

Barreal is enjoying a good phase at Santos, but had to seize an opportunity to regain his spot as a starter. When Vojvoda arrived, the forward was a substitute. The coach started Victor Hugo on the right side. However, the midfielder suffered a thigh muscle injury at the end of September, which kept him off the field for about three weeks.

In Victor Hugo’s absence, Barreal stood out. The Argentine was chosen by Vojvoda to take on a starting role and delivered. Since then, he has played five matches in the starting eleven, contributing three goals and one assist.

Barreal’s strong performances have attracted the interest of Santos, who wish to exercise the purchase option included in the loan contract. The Argentine, for his part, has also publicly stated that he would like to remain at the Baixada Santista club.

Santos’ position in the standings

With the draw against Botafogo, Santos remains in 16th place, now with 32 points, one more than Vitória, who lost to Corinthians and currently sits at the top of the relegation zone.

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