San Lorenzo host Neymar's Santos in key clash for the next round | OneFootball

El Ciclón, the leaders of Group D, will be looking this Tuesday for a win that would move them closer to the round of 16. On the other side will be Peixe, who must win and will have the Brazilian star as their standout figure.

San Lorenzo will face one of their most important matches of the semester this Tuesday when they host Santos of Brazil starting at 7:00 PM at the Pedro Bidegain stadium, on matchday three of the 2026 Copa Sudamericana Group D.

The team managed by Gustavo Álvarez comes into the match as the leader of its group and knows that a victory would leave it in a very strong position to qualify for the round of 16. However, standing in its way will be a historic and desperate rival, with the star presence of Neymar.

San Lorenzo want to stay on track

El Ciclón are going through a good spell and are coming off an important win domestically: they beat Platense 1-0 in Vicente López thanks to a goal from Rodrigo Auzmendi, a result that left them in sixth place in Zone A of the Apertura Tournament.

Now, at the end of the regular phase, they will host Independiente knowing that a draw will secure their place in the playoffs, although even a defeat could be enough depending on other results.

In the Sudamericana, San Lorenzo started with a 1-1 draw against Deportivo Recoleta in Paraguay and then beat Deportivo Cuenca 2-0 at the Nuevo Gasómetro.

With those four points, they sit at the top of Group D, and a win against Santos could mark a major turning point with the second half of the group stage in mind, where they will have to travel to Brazil and then to Ecuador.

Santos arrive under pressure, with a rested Neymar

Santos' current situation is much more complicated. In the Brasileirão, they are coming off a 2-2 draw against Bahia and sit 15th in the table with just 14 points, very close to the relegation zone.

In the Copa Sudamericana, the outlook is even more delicate: they are bottom of the group with only one point, after losing 1-0 to Deportivo Cuenca in Ecuador and drawing 1-1 with Deportivo Recoleta in São Paulo.

That is why Peixe will arrive in Bajo Flores needing a win so as not to seriously jeopardize their chances of advancing to the next round.

Aware of that situation, coach Cuca decided to rest Neymar in the domestic league so that he would arrive in top condition for the clash against San Lorenzo.

“He won’t play on Saturday, so he’ll be in better shape for the match in Argentina, which is crucial for us,” the coach explained before the draw against Bahia.

Probable lineups

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