Santos host Deportivo Cuenca at Estádio Urbano Caldeira on 27 May 2026 with kick off at 00:30 UTC in the final round of Copa Sudamericana Group D. The stakes are clear: Cuenca sit second on six points and need only a draw to confirm their place in the knockout round play offs, while Santos are fourth on four points and need a win convincing enough to leapfrog both Cuenca and third placed Recoleta. Anything less and their Sudamericana campaign is over. Cuenca already hold the first leg advantage, having won 1-0 in April through Lucas Mancinelli's goal, so Santos are essentially chasing an uphill result at home against a side with every reason to sit back and defend.
Cuca is back at Santos for his fourth stint, appointed on 19 March 2026 with assistant Cuquinha alongside him and a contract through to the end of the year, while Jorge Célico has Cuenca well drilled as the first leg result showed. There is no meaningful prior head to head between the two coaches at senior level.
Santos have been poor across both competitions, sitting around 16th or 17th in Série A after a recent defeat to Grêmio, with their Sudamericana record reading two draws against San Lorenzo and Recoleta plus the first leg loss and injuries and rotation compounding all of it. Cuenca, meanwhile, are unbeaten in Group D, collecting a goalless draw against San Lorenzo and a 2-2 with Recoleta, with their LigaPro form adding wins over Guayaquil City and Libertad alongside a 1-1 with LDU Quito.
Santos are badly short handed: Neymar is out with a long term calf injury, captain Verissimo is suspended after three yellow cards and Rollheiser, Thaciano, João Schmidt and Vinicius Lira are all unavailable, with Gabriel Menino doubtful through a thigh problem. Cuca is expected to set up in a 4-2-3-1 with Brazao in goal, Vinicius, Frias, Peres and Escobar across the back four, Arao partnering Henriques or Miguelito in midfield and Bontempo, Barreal and Barbosa behind the striker.
Cuenca have no injury concerns and should line up in a 4-1-4-1 with Ferrero in goal behind Mosquera, Boolsen, Postel and Arboleda, Maccari or Chacón holding in midfield and Garcia, Vega and Gonzalez in the band ahead of them, with Ordonez or Mancinelli leading the line.
Without most of their best players, Cuca's Santos are a younger, more cautious group and the only meeting between these sides showed exactly what that means in practice: Cuenca defended from a low block, soaking up pressure before Mancinelli converted what proved to be the only goal and there is no reason to expect Célico to change that approach here. Cuenca look to use Maccari, Vega and Gonzalez when they win the ball back and Boolsen, Postel and Arboleda have already shown they can handle a home crowd's pressure.
A draw suits Cuenca and they are well set to get one, even with Santos's home support and desperation to factor in. The injury list is brutal on the hosts' side and Cuenca are unbeaten across all three group stage games in this competition, including that away win in April. Santos will probably find a goal at some point but Cuenca look capable of responding and then sitting on it, which would end Santos' run and put Cuenca through.
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?.
