Preview: Cruzeiro vs Santos prediction, lineups, betting tips & odds | Brazilian Serie A 2026-27

The Fox will take on the Fish on matchday eight of the Brazilian Serie A.

Cruzeiro will host Santos FC at the iconic Estádio Magalhães Pinto, as both teams are looking to get the three points. Cruzeiro is yet to get their first win of the season, and Santos have also won just one match in the league so far. Historically, these two teams have been very competitive and their record against each other is very tight.

So far, Cruzeiro have played seven games, in which they drew three and lost the rest of the matches. They are currently sitting in the bottom position in the table, and they are also suffering from an injury crisis, as many players are out due to long-term injury. Fans are dissapointed on how things are going in the club and they have shown their frustration. They will have to aim to win this fixture anyway so that they can improve their positioning in the league.

On the other hand, Santos have sacked manager Juan Pablo Vojvoda after their defeat to Internacional by 2-1 in the last game. Neymar‘s side were beaten by an injury-time winner in a result that will reignite fears of relegation.

Santos have confirmed that former boss Cuca will be the club’s new coach until the end of the season. In seven matches, they have won once, drawn thrice and lost three matches, with six points, they sit in 16th place in the league. If they drop more points in the upcoming fixtures, surely they will drop into the danger zone. This will be a mouthwatering clash for sure.

Kick-off:

• Location: Mineirao, Brazil
• Stadium: Estádio Magalhães Pinto
• Date: Monday, 23 March
• Kick-off: 12:30 AM IST
• Referee: TBD
• VAR: In Use

Form

Cruzeiro (in all competitions): L-D-L-W-W

Santos (in all competitions): L-D-D-W-L

Players to Watch

Matheus Henrique (Cruzeiro)

Henrique had a decent spell in Italy as he played for Sassuolo, and a few seasons back, he came back to Brazil to play for Cruzeiro. So far, things have been going well for him, but the overall team’s performance has been awful so far this season.

He plays as a central midfielder and is a key player for the team. Back in 2019, he was part of the Brazil National Football Team, but his performance hasn’t been good in the last few seasons, and hence, he wasn’t called up after that.

Neymar (Santos)

The Brazilian star was disappointed with not being selected for the National team for this upcoming international break. He has been injured a couple of times in the last few months, and his fitness is still not up to the mark. So far, he has played three matches in the league in which he scored three goals and provided one assist. He won’t be playing for the full 90 minutes, but surely his impact will be great even if he gets a few minutes.

Match Facts

• The most common result of matches between Cruzeiro and Santos FC is 1-0. Six matches have ended with this result
• Cruzeiro is sitting at the bottom of the league, and Santos sits at 16th place
• Santos won the last match against Cruzeiro by 3-0

Cruzeiro vs Santos: Betting Tips & Odds

• Tip 1 – This fixture to end in a draw – 5/2 by bet365
• Tip 2 – Both teams to score
• Tip 3 – Goals to be scored under 2.5

Injury and Team News

The home team will miss Cassio, Marquinhos, Jorge, Romero, Rodrigues, Gerson and Marcelo due to injuries. The rest of the players are fit to play.

Ze Rafael and Lira are both out due to injury; the rest of the squad are fully fit to play.

Head-to-Head

Matches: 40

Cruzeiro: 16

Santos: 16

Draws: 8

Predicted Lineups

Cruzeiro Predicted Lineup (4-2-3-1):

Cunha (GK); William, Bruno, Vilalba, Bruno; Silva, Henrique; Christian, Japa, Villareal; Arroyo

Santos Predicted Lineup (4-4-2):

Brazao (GK); Vinicius, Frias, Ivaldo, Escobar; Rony, Oliva, Arao, Barreal; Neymar, Gabriel

Match Prediction

Both sides have been awful so far in the league and have dropped points. Quality-wise, there isn’t a major difference between these two sides, and this will be a competitive fixture for sure. Both sides will be eager to bounce back from their recent defeats. Most probably, this fixture will end in a stalemate.

Prediction: Cruzeiro 1-1 Santos

Telecast Details

USA: Fanatiz

UK: OneFootball

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