Two teams gunning for a place in next season's Copa Libertadores will face off on Matchday 10 of the Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A campaign as Santos host Internacional at Estadio Urbano Caldeira on Wednesday.
Colorado are two points ahead of Peixe heading into this encounter following a 2-0 win versus Bragantino this past weekend, while Santos have failed to win their last three domestic fixtures, drawing Athletico Paranaense 2-2 on Saturday.
Match preview
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After nine league games in 2022, Santos are in virtually the same spot as a season ago, with three wins, three draws and three defeats.
At the same time, they are only two points behind Sao Paulo for sixth and a qualifying spot in the prestigious Copa Libertadores next year.
Under Fabian Bustos, there has been a higher demand for these players to remain physically fit with plenty of intense training sessions, which has translated well in matches, as Santos have rarely been penalised for pace thus far.
Their speed and skill has improved tremendously in the early going of the new season, scoring the third-most goals in the league to this point of the campaign (12), though they have only found the back of the net in one of their last three league fixtures.
More often than not, Santos do not have the ball for long stretches, but they have a much more precise identity so far this year, and they have shown an ability to make the most of their chances in front of goal.
They have proven to be dangerous in the final third, and collectively it seems like Santos have their share of chance creators who are strong on the ball, capable of picking out their forward players, with eight assists coming from eight different individuals domestically this year.
In the middle of the field, they are quick to transition and utilise their speed, however, their fullbacks have at times been caught a little too high up the field, leaving gaps for their opponents to expose.
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Internacional continue to find ways to generate results, and they did that again on Sunday, with a pair of goals in stoppage time to extend their unbeaten run to 13 consecutive games in all competitions.
Thanks to that triumph, a spot in the 2023 Copa Libertadores is well within reach, with Internacional currently behind Coritiba for an automatic spot in the tournament next year merely on goal difference.
Since dropping their opening road fixture to the defending champions Atletico Mineiro (2-0), Mano Menezes has seen his squad do a fantastic job at limiting their opponents' chances away from home, conceding only twice, while allowing three shots or fewer on target in two of their last three matches played as the visitors.
They have only allowed three first-half goals to this point of the season, showing a lot more structure, composure and organisation under Menezes.
You have to go back to 2015 to find the last time that they suffered a road defeat against Santos in Serie A, while they have not been shut out at Estadio Urbano Caldeira versus Peixe since a 0-0 draw in 2013.
The scoring depth within this group has been a big part of their success lately, with six different players having tallied at least once after nine matches.
One thing that has been evident this season with Internacional compared to a year ago is their patience and persistence to keep attacking, earning four points from losing positions this year, scoring six goals with 10 minutes or fewer remaining in either the first or second half.
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Team News
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A brace from Marcos Leonardo over the weekend moved the Santos striker into a tie with Hulk and Erison for second in the league with five goals, while Jhojan Julio and Sandry collected their first assists of 2022 in that match.
John is still recovering from his positive COVID-19 test, Angelo might not be available for a couple more weeks because of a thigh issue and Kevin Malthus remains on the sidelines with an ACL injury.
Marcos Guilherme is in the final month of his loan deal with Santos from Internacional, while Leo Baptistao already has two goals this season, two more than he had in the 2021 domestic campaign.
Goals from Johnny Cardoso and Carlos De Pena enabled Colorado to pick up three points last weekend as the backline of Rene, Gabriel Mercado, Vitao and Fabricio Bustos conceded two shots on target to Bragantino, helping Daniel earn a clean sheet.
Wesley Moraes missed their weekend fixture due to a fever, Matheus Cardorini and Rodrigo Moledo are suffering from thigh problems, Bruno Gomes has a dislocated elbow and Gabriel Boschilia could miss a couple more matches with a knee injury.
Their skipper, Taison, remains in search of his first goal this season, while they have struggled to replace the departed Yuri Alberto, who had 12 strikes for them in 2022, with Wanderson and Alexandre Alemao leading the way in this campaign with two goals each.
Santos possible starting lineup:
Paulo; Pires, Bauermann, Velazquez, Jonatan; Zanocelo, Goulart, Sandry; Julio, Leonardo, Baptistao
Internacional possible starting lineup:
Daniel; Rene, Mercado, Vitao, Bustos; Wanderson, Gabriel, Estevao, Edenilson; Taison, De Pena
We say: Santos 0-1 Internacional
Momentum is on the side of Internacional heading into this encounter, and while these sides are evenly matched, we anticipate the structure and defensive shape of Colorado will frustrate Santos, allowing Menezes' side to find a breakthrough eventually.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Joel Lefevre
