Santos will have Neymar back when it hosts Macará on Thursday at 19h at Vila Belmiro in the first leg of the Copa Sul-Americana round of 16. The forward returns after serving a suspension against Athletico-PR, giving Cuca a key option as Santos tries to start the tie with an advantage.
The timing matters because Santos needs a response. A loss to Athletico-PR last Sunday left the club in the relegation zone of the Campeonato Brasileiro, and Cuca has made clear he expects a win against the Ecuadorians so the team can react this season. The match will be shown by and Disney+, with ge providing live play-by-play coverage.
Even with Neymar available, Santos goes into the game with holes that could shape the way it defends. Igor Vinícius, Lucas Veríssimo and Gustavo Henrique are unavailable because of physical problems, which leaves Cuca weighing options for the back line instead of settling on a full-strength setup. That makes the return of the forward even more important: Santos can chase the result it needs, but it has to do it without the usual stability behind him.
Macará arrives with numbers that explain why this is not a simple home assignment. Guillhermo Sanguinetti’s side is unbeaten in its last five matches, sits second in the Campeonato Equatoriano tied with Aucas and 20 points behind Independiente del Valle, and finished first in Group A of the Copa Sul-Americana ahead of Tigre, América de Cali and Alianza Atlético. It also conceded only three goals in the group stage, a reminder that Santos is not only chasing a result but trying to break down a team that has traveled well in this tournament.
Sanguinetti has coached Macará since April of last year and has guided the club through 65 games, with 31 wins, 17 draws and 17 losses. Franco Posse has added 13 goals in 31 matches this season, another sign that the Ecuadorians can threaten if Santos gets stretched while trying to force the issue. Kevin Ortega will referee the game, and by Thursday night the question will be less about Neymar’s return than whether Santos can turn that boost into the kind of first-leg lead it now needs.
