Preview: Santos vs Mirassol - prediction, team news, lineups

Santos will welcome Mirassol to Vila Belmiro on Sunday for round 24 of the 2026 Brasileiro, with both sides in need of points to move further clear of the relegation zone.

The two teams head into the contest after contrasting fortunes in continental competition, with Santos advancing to the Copa Sudamericana quarter-finals while Mirassol were eliminated from the Libertadores on penalties by LDU Quito and must now turn their focus to their domestic campaign.

Match preview

Santos host Mirassol in a moment of greater confidence. The 3-0 win away to Vasco ended a run of three matches without a victory in the Brazilian Championship. With 25 points, Peixe sit in 14th place and know that another win could help open up an important gap to the relegation zone.

In addition, qualification in the Copa Sudamericana gave the team an extra boost. Santos beat Macara 2-1 at the Vila Belmiro before holding on for a 0-0 draw in Ecuador to reach the quarter-finals. In the Brazilian Championship, the attack is also enjoying a positive spell, having scored nine goals in the last five rounds.

At the Vila Belmiro, however, Santos have yet to find consistency. They have five wins, three draws and four losses in 12 matches as hosts, a 50% success rate. The head-to-head record against Mirassol, on the other hand, is highly favourable: Peixe have never lost to their opponents at home, with eight wins and two draws in 10 matches.

For the match, Cuca is expected to once again call on some of the squad's key names. Neymar, Gabigol, Igor Vinicius and Barreal were rested against Macara and have a good chance of returning to the starting eleven. With the Sudamericana temporarily set aside, Santos are turning their focus back to the Brasileirao.

Mirassol arrive in a very different situation. The side exited the Copa Libertadores on Thursday, but left Quito with reasons for optimism. The team drew 0-0 with LDU after normal time, before being eliminated 5-4 on penalties, ending their historic first participation in the competition at the last-16 stage.

Despite the elimination, Rafael Guanaes was full of praise for Mirassol's performance. The coach described the display against LDU as close to perfect from a strategic standpoint and highlighted the team's organisation, particularly in being able to compete at Quito's altitude. For Guanaes, the performance should serve as an example for the rest of the season, with the Brasileirao now the priority.

In the domestic league, however, Mirassol need to respond. The Leao Caipira have 23 points and sit in 17th place, the first team inside the relegation zone. In the previous round, the side were thrashed 5-1 by Flamengo at home, and go into the match with Santos under pressure to react.

Their away form is not helping matters either. In 10 away matches in this Serie A, Mirassol have managed just one win, a success rate of 17%. After the trip to Ecuador and a gruelling match against LDU, Rafael Guanaes will also face the challenge of getting his squad physically ready before returning to action in the Brasileirao.

Santos Brasileiro form:

Santos form (all competitions):

Mirassol Brasileiro form:

Mirassol form (all competitions):

Team News

Cuca will be without four players for the match. Left-back Vinicius Lira, midfielder Gabriel Menino, centre-back Lucas Verissimo and attacking midfielder Gabriel Bontempo remain in the treatment room and are not expected to face Mirassol.

Santos also have six players on yellow-card suspension watch. Luan Peres, Escobar, Joao Schmidt, Thaciano, Barreal and Gabriel Barbosa are all on two bookings and will be suspended for the next round if they receive another caution.

On Mirassol's side, Rafael Guanaes will be without four players. Negueba, Edson Carioca and Aldo Filho are in the treatment room, while Denilson is suspended after picking up his third yellow card.

Five other players also need to be careful with bookings. Lucas Oliveira, Reinaldo, Victor Luis, Alex Muralha and Alesson are all on yellow-card suspension watch and could miss the following round if cautioned against Santos.

Santos possible starting lineup:

Gabriel Brazao; Igor Vinicius, Willian Arao, Luan Peres, Escobar; Christian Oliva, Joao Schmidt; Caballero, Neymar, Alvaro Barreal; Gabriel Barbosa. Coach: Cuca.

Mirassol possible starting lineup:

Walter; Igor Formiga, Joao Victor, William Machado, Reinaldo; Neto Moura, Shaylon, Japa; Eduardo, Alesson, Bruno Santos. Coach: Rafael Guanaes.

We say: Santos 3-1 Mirassol

Santos head into the contest as favourites, with their strong recent record against Mirassol and the return of key attacking figures such as Neymar and Gabriel Barbosa strengthening their prospects.

Home advantage and greater quality in the final third should give Santos the edge in what could be an entertaining contest, and we expect the hosts to secure a 3-1 victory.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.