Santos host Mirassol at the Vila Belmiro on 23 August 2026, a Série A meeting that could shift both clubs out of the drop zone by the end of the night. Sitting 14th and 17th respectively after 22 games, the pair are either in the drop zone or teetering just above it and three points here could meaningfully change both teams' seasons.
Cuca took charge of Santos on 19 March 2026, replacing Juan Pablo Vojvoda, while Rafael Guanaes has been at Mirassol since March 2025 and the two have barely crossed paths as coaches before, so neither will arrive with many preconceived answers about the other.
Santos arrive on the back of a 3-0 Série A win over Vasco da Gama on 16 August followed by a clean sheet against Macará in the Copa Sudamericana four days later, while Mirassol come in rougher shape having been hammered 1-5 at Flamengo and still sitting near the bottom four.
Santos are without Lucas Veríssimo (calf) and Gabriel Menino (knee ligament), which strips Cuca of cover in central defence and midfield at a moment when Copa commitments have already stretched the squad thin. Mirassol lose Denilson to suspension and Negueba to a knee ligament injury. Losing Denilson is the more disruptive of the two: he is the holding presence that keeps their press coordinated and without him Reinaldo ends up carrying extra defensive work he did not sign up for.
Santos set up in a 4-2-3-1 that prioritises being hard to beat at home before hitting teams on the break. The double pivot shields the centre backs while full backs push forward when there is space and Neymar drops into the gaps between the lines, the link between the pivot and Barbosa. Gabriel Barbosa leads the line with around eight goals this season and Barreal adds roughly four from wide. Against Mirassol's high press, the plan will be to play through Neymar, whose vision in tight spaces is Santos' best answer to teams who try to press them high.
Mirassol's shape is built on a high press, quick transitions when they win the ball and a compact defensive block. Away from home it is a different story: they concede from wide areas and set pieces and that pattern has been recurring enough to count as a known weakness. Reinaldo is the creative hub, with Igor Formiga and Paciencia adding around four goals between them this season. The key battle will be Santos' double pivot against Mirassol's press, because if Santos win that fight in the middle of the pitch, Neymar has the space to pick passes in behind Mirassol's lines.
The absences reshape things subtly in Santos' favour. Without Veríssimo and Menino they are less comfortable with the ball deep, which may push Cuca into sitting deeper early but Denilson's suspension leaves Mirassol's press less coordinated and gives Santos a chance to dominate possession in central areas if they are disciplined about winning the first ball.
Recent meetings have been tight: a 2-2 draw in March 2026, a 1-1 in November 2025 and a 3-0 Mirassol win in July 2025. The Vila Belmiro has not been the fortress it once was in recent editions.
Santos have caused problems from set pieces at home this season and that could tip a game where both squads are carrying Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana fatigue. Santos had an extra two days before this fixture and none of Mirassol's midweek travel load, whereas Mirassol are still absorbing the Flamengo battering. Santos need points to extend their buffer above the bottom four, Mirassol need them even more urgently to avoid the drop zone altogether.
Santos 1-0 Mirassol. The home defensive structure, the loss of Denilson's press coordination and Mirassol's tendency to concede from wide and from set pieces away from home make Santos the likelier side to take this. Santos will let Mirassol press early, absorb it and find the goal through Neymar in the spaces behind their press or from a dead ball. The absences of Veríssimo and Menino are a concern but the compact home block should limit what Mirassol can do in transition. This has the look of a grim, tense 1-0, the kind Santos badly need.
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?.
