Cianorte host Santos in the first leg of the Copa do Brasil third round on Tuesday night. The Serie D team will fancy their chances of claiming a shock first-leg win versus a Santos side that are struggling.
Santos are coming off of three straight losses in all competitions and are in chaos. The Serie A side lost 3-0 away to Bahia on the opening day of the season. Now, manager Fernando Diniz needs to stop the rot and get the team a win.
Suplentes da última partida treinaram no gramado neste domingo. Elenco santista agora foca na estreia da #CopaDoBrasil, que acontece nessa terça, contra o Cianorte!📸 Ivan Storti / Santos FC pic.twitter.com/epdRHuys6K— Santos Futebol Clube (@SantosFC) May 31, 2021
Suplentes da última partida treinaram no gramado neste domingo. Elenco santista agora foca na estreia da #CopaDoBrasil, que acontece nessa terça, contra o Cianorte!📸 Ivan Storti / Santos FC pic.twitter.com/epdRHuys6K
Diniz took over as manager in May after former boss Ariel Hulan stepped down after just a few months in charge of the team. These teams have not met in recent time and there are now previous trends between them.
While Santos will enter the Copa do Brasil in the third round, Cianorte have played in both the first and second rounds to reach the game.
Cianorte won 1-0 against Parana in the first round thanks to an 85th-minute goal from Savio. The second round saw Cianorte defeat Santa Cruz courtesy of a 65th-minute goal from Mauricio.
Santos go into the game having already played 23 times in all competitions. They have posted a record of 7W-6D-10L.
As it stands, it could be a very difficult season for one of Brazil’s most famous clubs. The Black and White have conceded 36 goals while scoring 28 times.
Although the team failed to score in the Serie A opener against Bahia. Lucas Braga leads the team currently in goals with five. Kaio Jorge has four goals to his name.
Cianorte have scored just two goals in the Copa do Brasil this season. They should keep the first leg of the third round against Santos low scoring on Tuesday night.
Both of Cianorte’s goals in the first and second rounds came in the second half. It could occur once more.
Santos have won the Copa do Brasil just once in their history. It is an incredible stat for one of the country’s most successful clubs. Their cup win came in 2010.
Cianorte won’t begin their Serie D season until the weekend. Unlike Santos, Cianorte have not played since May 20. The team should be well-rested. With Santos playing so poorly, Cianorte could pull off a third round first leg shocker.
Santos’ trouble should continue. Diniz may play a weaker side with his eyes set on Santos’ weekend Serie A fixture versus Ceara.