Round 26 of Série A brings Internacional and Santos to the Beira-Rio on 6 September 2026, with both clubs far from comfortable but Inter's position considerably more desperate. Sitting 18th on 25 points from 25 matches, they have gone eight league games without a win, the last five of which produced a 2-3 defeat to Bahia and four successive draws. That is the kind of form that gets managers sacked rather than praised for defensive solidity.
The only recorded head to head between the two current managers came in March 2026, when Vojvoda's Inter beat Santos but Vojvoda is gone now and Pezzolano versus Cuca is a new matchup with no history to draw from.
Santos arrive in better shape having collected 2 wins and 2 draws in their last five league matches, including a 1-0 win at Corinthians. Four draws and a defeat from Inter's last five explains both the winless run and why goals have become such a problem.
Inter have problems across the squad. Goalkeeper Sergio Rochet misses out with a back issue and winger Kayky is out with an ankle problem but the bigger concern is five suspensions: Victor Gabriel, Gabriel Mercado, Paulinho Paula, Bruno Gomes and Alexandro Bernabei are all banned, particularly at the back.
Santos lose Neymar for four to eight weeks with a thigh injury, plus Lucas Veríssimo (ankle) and Álvaro Barreal (thigh), with João Schmidt and others suspended too. The Neymar absence is the obvious headline but the squad is deep enough through Gabigol that it does not gut their attacking options the way Inter's suspensions gut theirs.
Inter are expected to line up in a 4-2-3-1, with Alan Patrick pulling the strings from deep and Johan Carbonero, who has six goals this season, operating wide. Rafael Borré leads the line, though the five suspensions mean the defensive setup and goalkeeping situation need reconfiguring, which rarely helps a team already low on confidence. Santos will lean on a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1, with Gabriel Barbosa carrying around eight goals on the season and shouldering more of the creative burden in Neymar's absence. Inter's double pivot needs to shut down Santos' central play while still feeding Patrick in dangerous areas and Carbonero's duels with Santos' full-backs are where real space could emerge. Santos, meanwhile, will target the flanks where Inter's suspended defenders leave gaps.
Inter lead the historical record with 12 wins from the last 25 meetings against Santos' 4, with 9 draws. The most recent meeting, on 19 March 2026, ended 2-1 to Inter at Santos' ground. The Beira-Rio historically favours the hosts but current form makes that advantage harder to lean on than usual.
Inter have created chances from set piece routines even during the winless run and with multiple suspensions reshaping the marking schemes on both sides, dead ball situations could prove decisive here.
The pressure on Pezzolano has been building for a while. The Copa do Brasil exit already complicated his tenure and eight games without a win makes this something close to a must not lose. Santos still have Gabigol despite Neymar's absence and Cuca will be very aware of what this fixture represents.
A 1-2 Santos win feels right. Inter's five suspensions across key defensive positions, an unplanned goalkeeper change and an attack that has not found a win in eight games all point the same direction. The Beira-Rio setting and the historical head to head offer Inter some comfort but not enough to overcome everything stacked against them right now.
Ryan Baldi
Football Writer
Ryan Baldi is a professional football writer with years of experience and has been featured by respected outlets such as the BBC, The Guardian, Sky Sports, DAZN, FourFourTwo, ESPN, Yahoo Sport and Football365. He has also written several books including Arsène Who?.
