Luciano eyes end to ten-game drought as São Paulo’s top provider | OneFootball

São Paulo takes the field this Sunday against Santos, with Luciano looking to end an uncomfortable drought. The team's second top scorer of the season, with 11 goals, and the leader in assists, with six decisive passes, the number 10 hasn't found the net in ten matches.

Since his goal against Juventude on July 24, Luciano has gone ten matches without scoring. The dry spell began against Fluminense, when he still contributed an assist in the 3-1 victory.

After that, he went scoreless against Athletico-PR (twice, in the Copa do Brasil), Internacional, Vitória, and Cruzeiro, as well as the two matches against Atlético Nacional in the Libertadores, and against Atlético-MG in the Brasileirão.

The frustration grew after the 2-0 defeat to LDU last Thursday, in the first leg of the Libertadores quarterfinals, when he missed clear chances and acknowledged his responsibility.

“I can't miss that kind of goal, especially in a final phase like this, a tough match, any goal would help us and make things easier for the return leg. When I get the chance, I have to finish it,” said the number 10 after the setback in Quito.

Even without being in his most prolific scoring phase, Luciano remains a key piece in Hernán Crespo's scheme. With André Silva injured and Calleri out of action, the forward has taken on a leading role, although he is now threatened by possible changes in the lineup.

For the derby at Vila Belmiro, which kicks off at 8:30 p.m. (Brasília time) on Sunday, Crespo may opt for Dinenno to lead the attack, preserving the attacking midfielder for the decisive clash against LDU at Morumbi.

São Paulo comes into the match against Santos riding the momentum of a victory over Botafogo in the last round of the Brasileirão, a result that kept the team at the top of the table, with 35 points, in seventh place. Santos, on the other hand, is in the opposite situation: sitting in 16th place with 23 points, just one above the relegation zone, and winless in four matches.

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