Santos and Fluminense meet in round 12 of the Brasileirao Serie A on Sunday evening at the Estadio Urbano Caldeira, with both sides trying to reset after a crowded week of league and continental football.
Santos arrive after a 1-0 win over Atletico Mineiro on Sunday, when Moises struck three minutes after the hour mark to lift them to 15th place with 13 points from 11 matches. That left them three points above the relegation zone, but they were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw with Recoleta in the Copa Sudamericana in midweek after Richard Ortiz converted a 45th-minute penalty to cancel out Neymar's fourth-minute opener.
The numbers around Neymar help explain why Santos are still dangerous. He has been involved in a goal in five of his six matches this season, and since returning to the club he has produced 14 goals and six assists in 33 matches. Santos have also won two of their last three Brasileirao matches, beating Remo and Atletico Mineiro before losing 3-1 to Flamengo at the Maracana Stadium.
Fluminense come in with the stronger league position. They have 20 points from their first 11 games and sit fourth, six points behind leaders Palmeiras, with notable wins over Corinthians, Atletico Paranaense and Atletico Mineiro. But the visitors have their own strain to manage after a 2-1 defeat to Flamengo at the Maracana on April 12 was followed by a 2-1 loss to Rivadavia in the Copa Libertadores on Thursday.
That run has also left them with just one win in their most recent five away matches, and the injury list has grown. Lucho Acosta suffered a severe knee injury and is set for a four-week spell on the sidelines, while Yeferson Soteldo is a doubt with a thigh problem and German Cano, Nonato, Matheus Reis and Facundo Bernal remain out. Santos versus Fluminense therefore brings together a home side trying to push clear of trouble and a top-four team trying to stop a slide before it deepens.
