Santos wan bounce back as Recoleta dey come test dem for Copa Sudamericana

Santos dey prepare to face Deportivo Recoleta for Vila Belmiro dis Wednesday morning. Na second match for Group D of Copa Sudamericana 2026. Peixe dey look for better result after dem lose 1-0 to Deportivo Cuenca for opening day.

Deportivo Recoleta from Paraguay don show say dem no be pushover. Dem hold San Lorenzo to 1-1 draw for Asuncion last week. Na first time Recoleta dey play for continental competition since dem start for 1931.

Santos own form for Brasileirao Serie A dey mix. Dem dey 14th position with 13 points from 11 matches. Just five points above relegation zone. For last four league games, Cuca men draw 0-0 with Cruzeiro, lose 3-1 to Flamengo, win 2-0 against Remo, and beat Atletico Mineiro 1-0 last Saturday.

Attack dey worry Santos. Against Deportivo Cuenca, dem take 19 shots but only four reach target. Lucas Mancinelli score 60th minute winner give Cuenca all three points for Estadio Alejandro Serrano Aguilar.

Recoleta dey come with confidence. Jorge Gonzalez men don win two home league matches for Estadio Roque Battilana – 1-0 against Rubio Nu and 4-2 over Sportivo San Lorenzo. But dem just lose 2-1 to Sportivo Luqueno for Paraguayan Apertura three days ago.

Injury news dey affect both teams. Santos no go get Vinicius Lira (knee ligament) and Gabriel Menino (thigh). Miguelito dey under assessment for muscle problem. Good news be say Neymar and Gabigol don return to action. Tomas Rincon and Barreal dey available after missing previous matches.

Recoleta likely go field same team wey play against San Lorenzo. Allan Wlk dey pose threat for attack alongside Pablo Zeballos – wey just come out of retirement dis season.

Santos possible starting lineup: Brazao; Vinicius, Verissimo, Peres, Escobar; Arao, Bontempo, Neymar; Oliva, Rony, Gabigol. But Cuca fit make changes from weekend team. Adonis Frías and Moisés fit replace Lucas Veríssimo and Rony.

Recoleta possible lineup: Mongelos; Villalba, Wiechniak, Balbuena, Maldonado; Comas, Maiz, Quintana, Franco; Maggi, Ruiz.

Match dey hold special meaning. Wednesday na Santos 114th anniversary. Peixe dey desperate to celebrate with victory. Home supporters dey expect better performance after disappointing start to Sudamericana campaign.

Recoleta show resilience against San Lorenzo. But Santos squad get more experience and quality. Neymar and Gabigol presence dey give Peixe advantage. Still, Recoleta don prove say dem fit compete at dis level.

Fatigue concern dey for visitors. Dem just play league match three days ago. Santos dey fresher after weekend win. Vila Belmiro atmosphere go be electric as fans dey expect response from opening day loss.

Group D still open. San Lorenzo, Deportivo Cuenca and Recoleta all dey compete with Santos for knockout stage qualification. Every point matter from dis early stage.