Santos host league’s poor travellers, Neymar boosts Vila hopes | OneFootball

Santos faces, this Saturday, another direct clash in the fight against relegation in the Brazilian Championship. Peixe hosts Fortaleza at Vila Belmiro, starting at 4pm, in a match valid for the 31st round of the national tournament.

In front of their fans, Santos will try to regain their strength at the “Alçapão,” as the stadium is popularly known. The Alvinegro Praiano will face the third worst away team in Serie A and seeks to take advantage of this status to get back to winning ways at Vila. To do so, Peixe will count on the reinforcement of Neymar, who has been named in the squad after recovering from a muscle injury in his right thigh.

Santos has not had a great Brazilian Championship playing at home. The team led by Juan Pablo Vojvoda is the third worst home side in the national tournament, with only 19 out of 42 points won on their own turf.

This number represents a 45.24% success rate. The Santos team has recorded five wins, four draws, and suffered five defeats as hosts so far, with only 15 goals scored and 17 conceded. However, Neymar’s presence on the bench could give the team a new boost.

Peixe’s last game at Vila Belmiro ended in a painful defeat to Vitória, which pushed the team closer to the relegation zone. Santos is now looking to give a response to the fans in this direct clash on Saturday. Neymar, in fact, made a big effort throughout the week to be available.

This Saturday, Santos will face the third worst away team in the Brazilian Championship. Fortaleza has won only one of the 13 matches played away from home, with four draws and eight defeats, totaling a success rate of 17.9%. They have scored nine goals and conceded 25.

Fortaleza’s performance as visitors is only better than two other teams, who are also in the relegation zone. 18th placed Juventude is the worst away team, with only an 11.1% success rate, while bottom-placed Sport has 15.5%.

What’s at stake for Santos and Fortaleza

Santos and Fortaleza face off in a direct battle against relegation. The match will also mark Vojvoda’s reunion with Leão do Pici, his last club before joining Peixe. The Argentine made history at the helm of the Ceará team, qualifying for the Libertadores and achieving positive campaigns in the Brasileirão.

For Santos, the match against Fortaleza is an opportunity to open up a gap from the relegation zone. The Alvinegro Praiano drew with Botafogo in the last round and sits in 16th place, with 32 points.

Vitória, who lost to Corinthians in the last round, is the first team in the relegation zone, with 31 points. The Bahia team faces Cruzeiro at Mineirão, in a match simultaneous to Santos’. If Leão slips up and Peixe beats Fortaleza, they could open up a four-point lead over the Z4.

On the other hand, Fortaleza is also still fighting against relegation, especially after their big win over Flamengo in the last round. Leão do Pici is in 18th place, with 27 points, and is aiming for a win to stay alive in the fight against the drop.

If Fortaleza wins, their position in the table would not change this round. However, the Ceará team would reach 30 points and not only catch up with Vitória, but also be just two points behind Santos, making the relegation battle even tighter.

Upcoming Santos matches

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