Match against Botafogo a rare moment for Guilherme at Santos | OneFootball

Guilherme experienced a rare moment since arriving at Santos in the 2-2 draw with Botafogo last Sunday, during the 30th round of the Brazilian Championship. The forward was a substitute for only the fourth time since 2024.

The number 11 started on the bench by choice of Juan Pablo Vojvoda. This hadn't happened since January 25, when Pedro Caixinha brought him on only in the second half of the 2-1 defeat to Velo Clube, in the Paulista Championship.

Since then, Guilherme had been a starter in all the matches he was available for.

In 2024, the forward was a substitute only twice, in the 2-1 defeat to Palmeiras in January, for the Paulistão, and the 1-0 defeat to Operário-PR in June, for Serie B.

In other words, out of the 85 matches he has played for Santos, Guilherme was a starter in 81. In total, he has scored 27 goals and conceded 14, along with five yellow cards.

The 30-year-old player was signed at the beginning of 2024 and was one of the team's highlights in the Second Division. This year, he even maintained a high level in the Paulistão, but his performance dropped in the Brasileirão, and he became a target of criticism.

In the 1-0 defeat to Vitória, Guilherme missed a clear goal opportunity against the goalkeeper and left the field booed by fans. The forward hasn't scored since the 1-0 victory over São Paulo on September 21.

Even with the poor form, it's rare for Guilherme to leave the team. He has even been the captain of Peixe in Neymar's absence. With the number 11 on the bench, João Schmidt took the armband in the 2-2 draw with Botafogo.

Now, Guilherme hopes to return as a starter against Fortaleza, his former club, on Saturday, in a match valid for the 31st round of the Serie. The ball rolls on the Vila Belmiro pitch starting at 4 PM (Brasília time).

Next Santos Game

Standings Situation

Santos is in 16th place, now with 32 points, one more than Vitória, which opens the relegation zone. Fortaleza is in 18th, with 27.

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