Santos vs Athletico Paranaense - prediction, team news, lineups

Santos and Athletico Paranaense get astatine the Vila Belmiro successful contrasting moods, with the hosts sitting 15th successful the Brasileirao connected 22 points from 20 games and inactive moving to propulsion wide of the relegation zone, portion the visitors inhabit 3rd spot with 37 points from 21 rounds and stay firmly successful the rubric conversation.

Kick-off is scheduled for 22:30 UK clip (18:30 successful Brazil) connected Sunday, August 9, 2026, astatine the Vila Belmiro connected the Sao Paulo coast.

Santos volition look to marque location vantage number and trust connected the idiosyncratic prime of Neymar and Gabriel "Gabigol" Barbosa to unsettle an organised Athletico Paranaense broadside that besides boasts the league's starring scorer, Kevin Viveros.

Match preview

Santos caput into the fixture aft securing a 1-0 distant triumph implicit Remo successful the Copa bash Brasil circular of 16 astatine the Mangueirao connected Tuesday, August 4, with substitute Rony scoring the victor from a Neymar assistance to supply a invited boost to a broadside that has struggled for consistency successful the league.

Their Brasileirao signifier remains a concern, however, arsenic Santos person not won a league lucifer since circular 18, erstwhile they defeated Vitoria distant from home, and person since mislaid to Botafogo and drawn with Chapecoense.

Since Cuca replaced Fabio Vojvoda arsenic caput manager successful March, Santos person shown greater consistency successful cupful competitions but person struggled to construe that signifier into the league, portion fitting Neymar, Gabigol and Benjamin Rollheiser into the aforesaid starting XI has proved difficult, with the team's antiaircraft signifier tending to endure erstwhile each 3 play together.

Athletico Paranaense are enjoying a markedly antithetic campaign, with Odair Hellmann's broadside signaling their champion first-half instrumentality since 2013 by taking 33 points from their opening 19 matches earlier consolidating 3rd spot with 37 points from 21 rounds, though their tally of 4 consecutive league victories ended with a goalless gully against Corinthians successful circular 21.

A well-drilled defence has been cardinal to Athletico Paranaense's success, with the back-three strategy helping them concede conscionable 19 goals successful 21 Brasileirao matches.

Colombian guardant Kevin Viveros has been the team's main attacking outlet, starring the Brasileirao scoring charts with 12 goals successful 21 appearances alongside Flamengo's Pedro and averaging astir 1 extremity each 156 minutes.

Their biggest setback came successful the Copa bash Brasil, wherever Athletico Paranaense were thrashed 4-0 by Vitoria astatine the Barradao connected Thursday, August 6, resulting successful a 4-2 aggregate elimination successful the circular of 16 contempt their 2-0 triumph successful the archetypal limb successful Curitiba.

Recent head-to-head meetings besides favour Athletico Paranaense, who won the sides' past 2 encounters, securing a 2-1 triumph astatine the Arena da Baixada earlier this Brasileirao run aft a 3-0 triumph successful their erstwhile gathering successful 2023, portion Santos person not beaten them since September 2022.

Santos Brasileiro form:

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Santos signifier (all competitions):

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Athletico Paranaense Brasileiro form:

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Athletico Paranaense signifier (all competitions):

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Team News

Santos volition beryllium without centre-back Lucas Verissimo owed to a calf contented and right-back Igor Vinicius due to the fact that of lower-back pain, portion goalkeeper Joao Paulo remains successful the club's aesculapian department, meaning Gabriel Brazao is expected to proceed successful extremity and Mayke oregon Gabriel Menino could deputise astatine right-back.

The astir important lack is Neymar, who picked up his 3rd yellowish paper of the play during the gully with Chapecoense and volition service a suspension, with Willian Arao and Gabriel Bontempo among the midfield options and Ángelo "Barreal" expected to clasp his spot further forward.

Athletico Paranaense could besides person respective absences pursuing Thursday's 4-0 decision to Vitoria, with left-back Claudinho and defender Lucas Esquivel missing the travel to Salvador and remaining doubts, portion Carlos Teran is dealing with musculus soreness, Juan Portilla has a genu ailment and first-choice goalkeeper Bento Santos is suspended aft receiving his 3rd yellowish paper of the season.

Luiz Gustavo is expected to instrumentality to the starting XI aft a play of managed workload, strengthening the holding midfield role, portion Kevin Viveros, Steven Mendoza and Leozinho are apt to signifier Athletico Paranaense's astir cohesive attacking trio with Jadson operating arsenic the cardinal creator.

Santos imaginable starting lineup:

Gabriel Brazao; Gabriel Menino, Adonis Frias, Joao Ananias, Escobar; Joao Schmidt (Willian Arao), Diego Oliva, Gabriel Bontempo; Angelo Barreal, Guilherme Caballero, Gabriel "Gabigol" Barbosa

Athletico Paranaense imaginable starting lineup:

Mycael; Kaique Benavidez, Thiago Aguirre, Arthur Dias; Gilberto Moraes, Luiz Gustavo, Jadson, Steven Mendoza; Cristian Cruz, Leozinho; Kevin Viveros

We say: Santos 0-1 Athletico Paranaense

Athletico Paranaense are expected to concede possession and absorption connected shutting down the cardinal areas down their back-three system, which could let Santos to spot much of the shot but permission their originative midfielders with constricted abstraction to run betwixt the lines.

Thursday's 4-0 Copa bash Brasil decision could service arsenic a catalyst alternatively than a hangover for the visitors, who person tended to respond good to setbacks nether Odair Hellmann, and with Kevin Viveros capable to onslaught the abstraction near by a Santos defence missing Lucas Verissimo and Igor Vinícius, 1 well-executed modulation could beryllium capable to settee the contention successful Athletico Paranaense's favour.

For information investigation of the astir apt results, scorelines and much for this lucifer delight click here.