Zé Rafael faces debut rival again under Vojvoda at Santos | OneFootball

This Sunday, Santos visits Ceará in a match valid for the 27th round of the Brazilian Championship. The game promises to be special for Zé Rafael, who will face the rival from his debut with Peixe once again.

The number 6 first played for Alvinegro Praiano on May 12. Recently recovered from spinal surgery, the 32-year-old player came on late in the 0-0 draw at Allianz Parque, during the eighth round of Série A.

Since then, Zé Rafael has become a regular fixture in the starting lineup for Santos. However, the midfielder took some time to secure his spot and even spent some time on the bench in mid-August.

Consolidated

The arrival of Juan Pablo Vojvoda, however, seems to have given a new lease on life to the former Palmeiras player. He has played the full 90 minutes in all five matches under the Argentine coach and has been standing out.

Last Wednesday, in the 1-1 draw with Grêmio, Zé Rafael came close to scoring his first goal for Peixe. He hit the crossbar twice. On one of those occasions, Lautaro Díaz took advantage of the rebound to find the back of the net.

In total, the number 6 has 17 appearances for Santos, 14 of them as a starter. He is still looking for his first goal involvement.

Next Santos match

Standings

Santos is in 16th place in the Brasileirão, with 28 points, three more than Vitória, who currently sits at the top of the relegation zone.

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