Santos cling to Vila Belmiro form in Sudamericana as Série A woes continue | OneFootball

Santos are among the weakest home sides in Série A, yet Vila Belmiro has become a Sudamericana refuge, with four games unbeaten and two wins in a row before the last 16. According to Globo.com, that continental run has arrived amid domestic stumbles.

They host Ecuador’s Macará at 19:00 Brasília time on Thursday, aiming to take a first-leg lead and ease pressure on a strained squad.

Coach Cuca is not expected to rest players, seeking a comfortable advantage that could allow rotation in the return on the 20th in Ecuador.

Their Sudamericana path began with draws against Recoleta 1-1 and San Lorenzo 2-2, then victories over Deportivo Cuenca 3-0 and UCV 4-2 in the last-16 play-offs.

The continental uptick contrasts with league form. They lost at home to Athletico last Sunday and own only the 16th-best home record. In 12 home matches, 11 at Vila Belmiro, they have 50% of points, five wins, three draws and four defeats.

Only Coritiba 45%, Remo 42%, Internacional 36% and Chapecoense 23% have worse home numbers, while Athletico lead with 78% at Arena da Baixada.

That struggle shapes the wider picture and means Cuca cannot park the league while pursuing the Sudamericana knockouts. Santos have 22 points, sit 17th in the relegation zone, and visit Vasco at São Januário on Sunday. The Rio club are 18th, behind only on tie-breakers.

Source: Globo.com

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”