Robinho Jr faces debut rival again as his rise continues at Santos | OneFootball

Santos will face a tough challenge this weekend. The Alvinegro Praiano visits Flamengo on Sunday afternoon, starting at 6:30 pm (Brasília time), at Maracanã, in a match valid for the 33rd round of the Brazilian Championship.

The match will have a special significance for the young Robinho Júnior. On the rise at Santos and following the natural process of development, the 17-year-old forward will face again the opponent from his official debut with the first team of Peixe, which happened this season.

Robinho Jr. played his first match with the senior team on July 16 of this year, the date of the match against Flamengo. The person who gave the youngster his debut, responding to requests from the fans, was Cléber Xavier, who is no longer part of Santos' coaching staff.

In that match, Robinho Jr. was brought on by the then coach at the 19th minute of the second half, replacing Álvaro Barreal. The forward debuted wearing the number 7 shirt and had a quiet performance, but the opportunity opened the door for more chances in the following games.

The evolution of Robinho Jr.

Since then, Robinho Jr. has been gradually given opportunities at Santos, respecting the transition process to the senior team. Even so, after playing minutes in three consecutive matches, the youngster disappeared from the squad list for about a month.

He returned to the first team after the arrival of Juan Pablo Vojvoda's coaching staff and got about ten minutes in the 1-1 draw against Atlético-MG. At one point, however, he even went back down to the under-20s, playing in the round of 16 of the Paulista tournament in that category.

In recent months, Robinho Jr. regained his place in the first team and made an impact in the 1-1 draw against Grêmio, when he came on in the second half and 'ignited' the game. Afterwards, he got more playing time against Corinthians and Vitória.

Gradually, the forward showed improvement and caught Vojvoda's attention, who gave him his first 45 minutes in the match against Fortaleza. The number 7 came on at halftime and was praised by the coach. Then, against Palmeiras, he was rewarded with a starting spot after his recent good performances.

Although he has not yet contributed with goals or assists, Robinho Jr. has shown potential. The youngster is seeking more opportunities in the starting lineup to, perhaps, secure a permanent spot in the first eleven – all this at just 17 years old.

Standings situation

With the loss to Palmeiras, Santos remained in the relegation zone of the Brasileirão. Peixe is in 17th place in the table, with 33 points, one less than Vitória, the first team outside the Z4. In addition, the Alvinegro Praiano has now gone four matches without a win in the tournament.

To get out of the relegation zone this round, Santos needs at least a draw against Flamengo and will be hoping for a Vitória loss, as they host Botafogo. If Vitória draws, Peixe will have to beat the team from Rio to leave the Z4 this round.

Upcoming Santos matches

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