Santos Vs Cruzeiro arrives on Saturday at 21h at Vila Belmiro, with the teams meeting in the 27th round of the Campeonato Brasileiro and the game set to run live on sportv and Premiere. ge will follow every move in real time.
The timing matters because Santos, now coming off wins over Internacional and Atlético-MG, is trying to win at home for the first time in the return leg. A victory would leave it ten points clear of the relegation zone, while Cruzeiro travels in better table shape after beating Athletico-PR 3-1 at Mineirão and sitting sixth with 42 points. For a match that carries pressure on both sides, Everton Cebolinha is the name Santos fans will watch most closely after being presented this week and possibly making his debut.
That possibility lands inside a Santos squad that still has a long list of absences. Cuca is without Lucas Veríssimo, Neymar and Barreal through injury, while Escobar and Gabigol are out because of suspensions. Gabigol would not have faced Cruzeiro anyway, since he is on loan to Santos from the Minas Gerais club. Even with those losses, the expected Santos lineup keeps a familiar spine: Gabriel Brazão, Rodinei, Willian Arão, João Ananias, Luan Peres, Gustavo Henrique, Christian Oliva, Gabriel Bontempo, Rollheiser, Rony and Thaciano. João Paulo, Luan Peres, Gabriel Menino, Willian Arão, Gabriel Bontempo, Rollheiser and Thaciano are all one booking away from missing the next round.
Cruzeiro has fewer changes to worry about, but not none. Artur Jorge is expected to repeat the lineup used in the 3-1 win over Athletico-PR, yet Jonathan Jesus remains out with a calf muscle injury and Villalba and Rojas are still competing for the left-back spot. The coach’s choice to crowd midfield last time, by taking Wesley out and bringing in Matheus Henrique, points to a setup that may keep four midfielders rather than the 4-3-3 Cruzeiro has used most often. The probable team is Otávio, Fagner, Fabrício Bruno, João Marcelo, Rojas or Villalba, Lucas Romero, Gerson, Matheus Henrique, Matheus Pereira, Arroyo and Kaio Jorge. Bruno Rodrigues, Gabriel Pec, Sinisterra and Jonathan Jesus are unavailable, and Kauã Moraes, Jo, Lucas Silva, Lucas Villalba, Otávio and Wesley are on the warning list.
Bruno Arleu de Araújo will referee the match, with Nailton Júnior de Sousa Oliveira and Thiago Henrique Neto Correa Farinha as assistants, Ivan da Silva Guimarães Júnior as fourth official and Heber Roberto Lopes on VAR. The broad picture is simple enough: Santos can turn a strong week into real breathing room, while Cruzeiro can keep its hold on the top-six chase by doing what it just did against Athletico-PR — control the middle and leave Vila Belmiro with points.
