Gabigol emerges as the antidote to Santos’ lack of finishing | OneFootball

Throughout 2025, Santos struggled significantly with their strikers' aim. The club created clear opportunities but faltered when it came to finishing plays. Now, the hope is that Gabigol can solve this problem.

The center forward, who arrives on a one-year loan, has better numbers compared to the Peixe's front men. In the last season, the number 9 shot 91 times in 49 matches. 44 of those shots were on target, resulting in a 48.3% success rate. 13 balls hit the back of the net.

The Santos player who came closest to Gabigol last year was Neymar. The attacking midfielder, who played 28 times, took 75 shots, 32 of which were accurate (42.6% success rate). The star ended 2025 with 11 goals.

The top scorer for Peixe in 2025 was Guilherme. The forward, who was transferred to Houston Dynamo, scored 14 goals last season, but the accuracy of the former number 11 left much to be desired. He had only a 36.7% success rate, with 117 shots, 43 of which were on target.

Direct Competitors

At Santos, Gabigol will compete for a position with Lautaro Díaz and Tiquinho Soares. The duo also falls short in the comparison of numbers.

The Argentine shot 34 times, 12 of which were accurate (35.2%), and scored five goals. The former Botafogo player, on the other hand, took 55 shots and hit the target 18 times (33.9%). The experienced athlete found the net seven times.

Relief for the Boss?

Vojvoda has expressed his dissatisfaction with Santos' lack of accuracy on several occasions since taking charge of the team at the end of August.

Only in the final stretch of the season did Peixe manage to make better use of their chances. In the last three games of 2025, the team scored three goals in each (3-0 victories over Sport, Juventude, and Cruzeiro).

Now, with the arrival of Gabigol, Vojvoda hopes that Santos will regain its offensive DNA and punish its rivals more frequently.

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