Santos target Fortaleza, seek to extend run vs bottom-four sides | OneFootball

This Saturday, at 4 PM (Brasília time), Santos hosts Fortaleza at Vila Belmiro for the 31st round of the Brazilian Championship. The match is a direct battle in the fight against relegation. The Peixe is confident due to its good track record against teams in the relegation zone.

So far, Santos has accumulated ten out of 15 points contested against Z4 opponents in this edition of the Brasileirão. These numbers equate to a 66% success rate. There have been three wins, one draw, and one loss.

The draw was away, against Sport. The victories were over Juventude, at Vila Belmiro, and against Fortaleza itself, as visitors. Additionally, there was a win and a loss against Vitória. Thus, Peixe starts a new sequence of direct confrontations. This could determine the team's path in the fight against relegation.

Currently in 16th place, with 32 points, Santos tries to take advantage of playing at home to gain an edge. The team has one point more than Vitória, the first team within the Z4. For the match, Neymar remains out. The attacking midfielder is in the physical transition phase. However, the medical department prefers not to rush his return to avoid the risk of a setback.

Additionally, another confirmed absence is the defender Souza, suspended due to an accumulation of yellow cards. On the other hand, coach Vojvoda will have the return of Zé Rafael, who comes back after serving a suspension in the last round against Botafogo.

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