Strikers disappoint, Santos struggle to fix their attack | OneFootball

Santos is experiencing a poor season when it comes to attack. The team, historically known for its high number of goals scored, is falling short in 2025. And this can be explained by the low performance of the center forwards.

None of the players in this position have managed to establish themselves so far. Lautaro Díaz and Tiquinho Soares are struggling to find the back of the net. The Argentine has three goals in 13 matches, while the Brazilian has scored seven in 38 appearances.

Tiquinho, in fact, hasn’t played since November 1st. That’s five straight matches without leaving the bench. Lautaro, on the other hand, has been used more often, but has lost his starting spot. He was even absent from the last game, against Inter, due to discomfort in his right knee.

In search of solutions

With both players underperforming, coach Juan Pablo Vojvoda changed the formation and introduced the “false 9” at Santos. Neymar has been the one playing in this role. The attacking midfielder, however, remains a doubt for the rest of the year due to a knee issue.

In the 1-1 draw with Inter last Monday, Rollheiser played as Peixe’s false 9, but was largely ineffective. He didn’t take a single shot while on the field. In the second half, Thaciano was moved into the role and also struggled. He finished the match with one attempt, hitting the side netting.

Now, Vojvoda is racking his brain to put together the team for the clash with Sport, in the 36th round of the Brazilian Championship, on Friday. The match will kick off at Vila Belmiro at 9:30 PM (Brasília time).

Peixe is in 17th place in the tournament, with 38 points, one less than Vitória, the first team outside the relegation zone.

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